One Stolen Night
by This Little Lady
Summary: UPDATE Ch.11 & 12! The moment he saw her Matt knew he had to claim Mimi for his own. But the depth of his desire put them all in grave danger. Mimi left Japan, never telling him she carried their child. But when her son disappeared, she knew he found out.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! Good to be back! It's been a while since my last Mimato fic (A Holiday Makeover) ended, and for those of you who haven't read it yet - as well as my other stories - I suggest you read them when you have time.

Anyways, this is another story I hope you will enjoy. It's a little different from my typical Mimato fic because I included more characters and the plot is a little bit complex. Nevertheless, I know you will like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. All names mentioned are purely fiction.

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Chapter ONE

At midnight, Ivy Orimoto suffered her second stroke of the year. Her struggle had been traumatic, but not fatal. It had sent the household into a panic and Mimi, along with Ivy's daughter, into tears. But it wasn't the most significant drama to unfold on that stormy night.

No, the real drama, at least for Mimi Tachikawa, had come hours later when she had returned to her bedroom to find the silver cross glistening on her pillow.

She had scarcely been able to breathe as she backed out the door, then raced down the hall to Gabby's room. Only, she knew before she swung the door wide that her son was gone…that like a thief in the night, his father had breached the house and taken him.

She had prayed she was wrong, had prayed for mercy…a shred of compassion. But there was no mercy, no compassion, only an open window and an empty bed where her son had slept for the past two years.

A gust of wind lifted the curtain at her bedroom window, and in spite of the heat, Mimi shivered. The smell of rain was heavy in the air. Mimi hated storms, but she would rather meet a hurricane head-on than return to Odaiba and face Gabby's father.

In the beginning, all she had wanted was to go back, and for Matt to know about his son. But then the days turned into months, the months into years, and slowly New York had become her home.

Oh god…he knew they created a child…a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed baby boy.

"What will you do, Mimi?"

The voice was soft behind her, as soft as the touch on her shoulder. Mimi turned from her bedroom window to face Ivy's twenty-three year old daughter. Zoe stood hugging herself, her eyes red from crying. Tonight had been a nightmare for both of them.

"Mimi, did you hear me? How will you get Gabby back?" When Mimi didn't answer right away, Zoe squeezed her shoulder. "You're scaring me, Mimi. There's a way to get him back, isn't there? You'll fight, right?"

Fight Matt…

Zoe had no idea how ridiculous that statement was. She had no idea what lay hidden behind all the closed doors to the past. She had no idea that complexity of the situation, or the danger. But then, why would she? She'd been carefully sheltered from the secrets by layers of lies…twenty-three years of lies.

"When I called to tell my father about Mom's stroke, we had no idea that Gabby had been kidnapped. But he's on his way right now, Mimi. He'll be here in a few hours. We'll tell him what happened and he'll know what to do. He loves Gabby. You know that, right?"

Yes, she knew that. Hiroaki thought the world of Gabby. That wasn't up for debate. What was, however, was how to defuse the time bomb that had started ticking the minute Matt found out he had a son. And that's what would be foremost on Hiro's mind when he learned Gabby had been taken by Matt.

But how could she tell Zoe any of that without explaining the rest? Without telling her that her father, Hiroaki Orimoto, resident of New York City, was also Hiroaki Ishida, a member of the _family_ in the Japanese mafia. And if she went that far to disclose his double identity, she would have to tell Zoe all of it. She would have to confess that Hiroaki was Gabby's grandfather.

Zoe believed she was an only child. She had no idea that she was the half sister to Yamato and Takeru Ishida. She had no idea that her father had been previously married or that he'd been juggling two separate lives with well-crafted scenarios and tightly woven lies to keep them all safe.

When Hiro brought Mimi to New York three years ago, he told Zoe that he hired a live-in nurse to care for Ivy. And that's how Mimi had been disguised…how their household had come to accept her.

Ivy's health over the years had gradually gotten worse and she needed constant care. Mimi had been a nurse in Odaiba for four years. The situation had worked on all levels.

"Talk to me, Mimi. What can I do to help?"

"I don't want your mother to know what happened. She's too fragile. She needs bed rest ad no excitement for at least two days. And your father…when he learns what happened tonight he'll know why I had to…"

"Leave. You are, aren't you?"

"I can't wait, Zoe. I'll go crazy waiting for Hiro to get here."

Zoe reached out and pulled Mimi to the bed. "My mom would have died tonight if you hadn't been here to help her. If you leave, she'll have no one."

Mimi pushed her long bangs out of her eyes. "You're wonderful with your mother, Zoe. You are the reason why your mother has survived all these years. You and your father. She'll be fine until Hiro comes. He'll order a replacement nurse within twenty-four hours."

"Why can't we just inform the authorities and tell them that Gabby's been kidnapped? Tell them that you know who did it and…"

"I can't do that," Mimi said quickly. "Gabby's father is a powerful man in Japan. When I left I didn't tell him I was pregnant. I didn't say where I was going, either. I just left. I had my reasons…good reasons. But…"

"I was always curious about Gabby's father," Zoe admitted. "Is that where he gets his blond hair and blue eyes? Does his father have blond hair?"

"Matt's pure Japanese. His family…" Mimi glanced at Zoe's features, "they all have blond hair and blue eyes."

"Did you run away because he hurt you, Mimi? Was it Gabby's father who gave you the scar?"

Mimi saw Zoe focus on the thin white line on the corner of her left eye…the scar that made her wear an eye patch for months. The scar that nearly blinded her.

"It wasn't like that. Matt never hurt me."

Zoe frowned. "Then, I don't understand."

"I was in an accident." Mimi shivered, remembering Michael's angry eyes as he picked her up and hurled her through her bedroom window. Her ex-husband claimed he hadn't meant to hurt her, he just wanted to knock some sense into her. Zoe didn't need to know the sordid details of Mimi's past, however, or the dangers that threatened her once she returned to Odaiba. And likewise, Mimi didn't want to dwell on her ex-husband…or Matt.

Especially not Matt.

There was no rational explanation for falling in love with him three years ago. It had been one of those crazy chance meetings at a time when she should have been too wary of any man to notice the blue-eyed man in the hospital corridor during one of her unscheduled late night visits.

At the time, she didn't know what caught her attention first, the meticulous way he dressed or his shockingly deep voice. Later, she came to realize it was neither. What had drawn her to Yamato Ishida was the hidden tenderness in the depth of his ocean blue eyes despite his poignant tough-guy image…a goodness and a fairness that defied reason, as well as rumor.

"How soon are you leaving?"

The thought of returning to Odaiba scared Mimi. But she forced a weak smile. "As soon as I can book a flight. While I pack, will you call the airport? I need to get out of here before the storm hits and they cancel all flights."

_And before Hiroaki comes home and tries to stop me._

"Will you come back?"

"Yes, I'll be back. With Gabby." Mimi knew that it was the only way to defuse the time bomb…is she and Gabby returned to New York. How she was going to manage that wasn't clear just yet, but she would focus on that once she faced Matt and knew that Gabby was all right.

Zoe shoved her long blond hair away from her face and stood. "I'll call the airport." She headed for the door, then turned back. "I love you and Gabby. I know I've never told you that, Mimi. But it's true. I can't imagine either of you not in my life."

The uncertainty of the situation brought tears to Mimi's eyes and she came off the bed quickly. "I love you, too. I've always wanted a sister and you've been that to me. Thank you for accepting me into your home, Zoe."

"Oh, Mimi." Suddenly Zoe rushed back and threw herself into Mimi's arms. "If you need me, I'm here. Don't forget that…don't forget me."

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The drive to the airport was hampered by heavy rain. When Mimi boarded the plane it was pouring, the wind so savage that she was glad she had worn jeans and her dark brown coat.

When the place was finally airborne, she pulled the silver cross from her pocket and stared down at it. Unbidden, the image of Matt, half naked, wearing the silver cross nestled against his chest materialized, and with it a fierce longing that had her feeling anxious as well as frightened.

Three years hadn't dimmed his powerful image or the emotions that had kept the memories alive. If anything, the years just sharpened the picture in her mind's eye, and strengthened her belief that for a brief moment in time she had experienced heaven on earth.

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After long hours of flying, a small private aircraft finally made it to Odaiba's local airport. And like the tough Japanese heritage Gabriel Yamato Ishida had been born into, the two year old boy asleep in his father's arms never fussed or blinked an eye as his uncle Takeru landed that sleek white plane in a rush of speed, tires squealing on black tarmac.

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As choices went, this one had been easy. There had been risks involved, but then, Matt Ishida was used to taking risks. He was a suit-and-tie businessman, considered the best moneyman in Japan. But tonight, unshaven, wearing jeans and a sweater, he'd been simply a father on a mission to claim what was rightfully his.

Matt reached out and straightened the blanket that covered his sleeping son. He was smaller than he expected. He couldn't help but worry about that. What if the boy was ill, or had been sickly?

When he learned he had a son…a son he never knew existed until his brother had waltzed into his office three days ago and slapped the proof down on his desk…he hadn't believed it was possible. But the proof was no longer just a glossy photo of a blond-haired little boy walking at the park hand-in-hand with his mother. The boy was flesh and blood.

His flesh and blood.

If the boy's mother had been anyone other than Mimi Tachikawa, Matt would have refused to believe the child was his. He had always been careful when he climbed into a woman's bed. He'd never lost his head or forgotten himself. That is, not until he laid eyes on the sexy brunette with the sad caramel eyes.

No, Gabriel was definitely his son. He was as certain of that as he was of why Mimi left Japan three years ago. He had always thought she vanished out of fear of her ex-husband. But now he knew that wasn't the case. Pregnant with his child…an Ishida child…she ran to escape him and what their son would surely become if she stayed.

As hard as it was to accept, the proof was asleep in front of him…the proof of Mimi's betrayal.

"He looks just like you when you were little. I remember thinking that they day I photographed him at the park with Mimi."

"That's what Tai said, too." Matt turned to his brother, who stood in the doorway leaning heavily into the jamb. "Tai just left. But for the past hour, he's been sitting here staring at Gabriel and shaking his head."

"The likeness is amazing," TK agreed.

Matt studied his brother. Takeru's eyes were bloodshot, which meant his back pain was giving him hell again, which meant he'd been drinking to compensate. He hated to see his brother drinking much. He survived a serious beating a few months ago. Hospitalized, he lost a kidney in his fight to survive.

Matt glanced back at his son. "I never realized how small a two year old is. He looked bigger in the picture."

TK grinned. "He's going to take some work. You up for that or do you want to take him back, big brother? Have you changed your mind?"

Matt admitted he didn't know the first thing about raising his son, but the boy was his. That's all he'd been thinking about for three days.

His brother told him during their trip that he would back him in whatever decision he made concerning Gabriel. He said, "I'll be behind you or in front of you. Walking in the front door, or going in through a window. I know all the guards' routine. We should be able to enter the grounds without any trouble. Then again, if you want to make trouble, I brought along a gun."

They'd gone in quietly through an open window off a balcony on the second floor. They were going in after his son, not to start a war. He didn't want to frighten Gabriel or endanger him by flying bullets.

It had only taken a few minutes to locate his son's bedroom. Mimi's room, too, though he hadn't found her inside. His window of opportunity had been tight. They had ten minutes max to get in and back out. That's why he had left behind the cross on Mimi's pillow. If she cared at all about their son, he knew the cross would bring her back to Japan.

"I need to hire a live-in nanny. Can you help me arrange some interviews tomorrow?"

"I'll get on it first thing. If we leave him alone, you think he'll be all right? We need to talk."

Matt looked down at his son. "He's finally sleeping, but he keeps asking for his bear."

"There's a kids' store in the lobby, I'll see what I can find. Are you ready to listen to what I have to say?"

"I was ready three days ago. You're the one who wanted to wait until after my son was here."

"I didn't want what I had to tell you to interfere with what was most important."

"Meaning my decision to claim my son?"

"He's yours." TK hung his hand on his hip. "If I had a son, I would want him with me."

"I'm ready for whatever comes at me," Matt told him. "I'll fight the devil, or anyone else who tries to come between me and what is mine."

"He's a good-looking boy, Matt. Worth fighting for. Come, let's talk and make some plans."

Matt's gaze went to his son. "I'll leave the door open and the hall light on. If he wakes up in the dark and starts crying, I don't know what I'll do."

"Guess you'll get your chance to play daddy. Rub his back and tell him a story."

Matt glanced at TK, then scowled when he saw his brother wearing an amused grin. "I don't know any stories."

"Sure you do. Remember the one Yuko used to tell us? The one about the purple badass dragon who turned out to be a nice guy?"

Yuko Kamiya was their best friend's mother. As young boys they'd spent countless hours with Tai and Yuko Kamiya. They had adopted Yuko as they mother they never had, and Tai as the once-in-a-lifetime friend who hadn't cared one bit what their name was, or what their father did for a living.

Twenty-five years later, nothing had changed. Yuko was still baking _her boys_ apple pies and buying them birthday presents. And Tai, recently promoted as head of Odaiba's Special Investigations Unit, was still their best friend.

Matt tucked the blanket under his son's chin, then followed his brother to the living room. When TK made a detour and slipped behind the bar, Matt said, "I thought you were going to give up booze. Or at least, back off a little."

"I changed my mind. The way I see it, what's the difference if I get addicted to painkillers or scotch? You might need a stiff one yourself once you hear what I have to tell you."

Matt eased himself down on the red damask sofa that snaked around a massive Italia-marble coffee table.

Fifty stories up, Matt's penthouse covered the entire top floor of Ishida Towers. The ceilings were eighteen-feet high and the furniture was plush and oversize in shades of red and gold. The long bar was imported cherry wood. A collection of large mirrors surrounding it and throughout the suite opened up the already extravagant space, as did the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city.

Like the living area, the kitchen was a sprawling wonder filled with the latest conveniences and a number of skylights. A breakfast nook to the left of the kitchen offered a view of the city at sunrise, and the elegant dining room that jutted outward like a glass egg to the right allowed for a breathtaking sunset view and a spectacular skylight panorama after dark.

When TK joined his brother, he brought Matt a glass of scotch and placed it on the coffee table. As he made himself comfortable on a gold tapestry chair, he said, "Trust me, you're going to need that."

"So, tell me what you know…"

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**A/N:** Sorry I had to end it this way. It's quite a pretty long chapter, and as much as I want to continue I'm afraid you'll have to wait for chapter two.

What do you guys think? Is it worth continuing? Please leave your reviews and tell me what you think. If you have any questions about anything just let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the wonderful reviews. I'm happy to know that most of you liked it, and I'm so glad to hear from my readers again. There are several questions that I hope this chapter will answer. As you may know from the previous chapter, TK and Matt were about to have an important conversation, so here it is. Enjoy!

Don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter TWO**

When TK joined his brother, he brought Matt a glass of scotch and placed it on the coffee table. As he made himself comfortable on a gold tapestry chair, he said, "Trust me, you're going to need that."

"So, tell me what you know. The place was swarming with guards. Whose place is it and why so many guards?"

"The estate is never without guards. I've learned they're a permanent, round-the-clock fixture. No less than eight at all times."

"The electronic gates were high-tech and some of the guards had dogs."

"Four dogs. Dobermans with an attitude." TK rubbed his thigh, indicating he had a conversation with one of them. "Before I tell you more about the estate, I'll explain how I found the place. It started all with the packages."

"What packages?"

"For several years I've been mailing a package to a post office box in New York every month. A job assigned to me seven years ago when I was eighteen. Since the packages were from various dress shops, I assumed they were gifts for one of Hiro's lady friends. From time to time I would joke with him about his dedication to one woman, and when I did, Hiro would smile and get this strange look on his face. Anyways, when Sora Takenouchi opened her shop here in Ishida Towers, Hiro started ordering the packages from there. Last month, when I went to her shop to pick up the monthly package, I took a minute to talk to Sora. She and I had never exchanged more than a few words since she opened her shop. But this time was different."

"Because Tai was in town."

TK nodded. "He was living in her apartment. Acting as her bodyguard. But like you, I knew there was something more between them."

"So you were checking her out to see if she was right for Tai."

"We both know that women who look good as Sora does are usually bitches. But as it turned out, she was the exception to the rule. She's quite the opposite actually. Very nice and soft-spoken."

"We're in agreement to that. Tell me more about the packages," Matt pressed.

"During the conversation, Sora said something I thought was odd. She said the two gifts inside the packages were exactly what Hiro ordered this time. One in each size."

"One in each size?"

"That's right. Two gifts. One in each size. For seven years I thought I was picking up one gift for Hiro's mistress. A mistress he obviously cared a lot about because he never missed a month. But suddenly I learned there were two gifts inside one package. And they were in different sizes." TK took a swallow of scotch. "I thought that was worth checking out, so I decided to take a trip to New York and stake out the post office box."

"And that led you to the estate."

TK nodded. "For two days the same man showed up at the post office to retrieve the mail from the box. On the second day, I followed him. When he entered the estate, and it was guarded like a fortress, my curiosity doubled. I decided to buy a camera and hang around for a few days to take some pictures. I wanted to see who came and went. That's when I discovered Mimi."

TK reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a handful of pictures and tossed them on the coffee table. "I figure you know where this is going. Those are the people who went in and out, the four days I watched the house. There's only one in there that you'll recognize other than Mimi."

Matt reached for the pictures and shuffled through them, looking for confirmation of what he already knew. When he spied the picture, he said, "Hiro was there. He's known where Mimi's been hiding the entire time."

"It looks that way. But there's something else you need to know. That estate belong to our father. In New York he goes by the name Hiroaki _Orimoto_."

The news was such a shock that for a full minute Matt didn't speak. Finally, he asked, "You're absolutely sure? There's no mistake?"

"I'm sure. He's owned the place for twenty-years."

"And Mimi's been there since she left Japan?"

"I'd like to say I've confirmed that, but I haven't. My gut tells me she's been there the entire three years. She looked relaxed. Talked to the guards. Smiled and laughed. What I'm saying is, she's no prisoner."

"If that's true, then Hiro helped her run."

"We both know he was upset when you broke off your engagement to Sophia Lang."

"You're saying he paid Mimi off?"

"Maybe. When Hiro wants something bad enough, money's no object. Then, neither is using a power play. He could have cut Mimi a deal. He could have told her she could keep the baby if she cooperated with him."

"You think he knew she was pregnant."

"Hiro's a cunning son of a bitch. Sure he knew. How, I can't say, but that's what motivated him. That's what my gut tells me."

"She could have gone to Hiro. Maybe she black-mailed him."

TK raised his brows. "That's an interesting twist. You think she'd capable of that?"

Three years ago Matt would have said no. Today all he could think about was that she had denied him his child.

"I'm not saying it didn't happen that way," TK stated. "But the Mimi I remember didn't seem capable of blackmail. She never even bad-mouthed her psychotic ex-husband."

"That's because she was too busy surviving Michael's hell, to spend time thinking of much else," Matt reasoned, showing more emotion than he would have liked.

"Mimi doesn't strike me as the manipulative type. She's sweet, soft-spoken and kindhearted. I can't pinpoint what made her sexy as hell three years ago. I mean, it wasn't exactly due to the condition she was in…the bruises and all…but she had something that made a man look twice. We both can't deny that."

More than a dozen qualities had made Matt look twice at Mimi Tachikawa. And any one of them could be blamed for why he had ignored his own rules and mixed business with pleasure.

Up to that point, he hadn't wasted his time on married women or divorced women packing baggage. And Mimi had one helluva lot of baggage. Her ex-husband had been a cop. And if that hadn't been enough to make Matt steer clear of her, the fact that Michael Gibbs was a dirty cop working for Hiroaki.

"Remember when Hiro offered to spearhead your investigation to find Mimi? Smart move on his part if he was the one hiding her out. My guess is, he put himself in that position to intercept information and to keep you in the dark."

Matt said, "We never got any good leads. I always thought that was strange."

TK nodded, rested his glass of scotch on the table. "I traced his flight itineraries for the past year. It wasn't easy. Hiro covers his tracks better than a snake on stilts."

"And?"

"I've confirmed eight visits to New York this past year."

Matt swore, then leapt to his feet. "Why didn't I suspect he was involved in Mimi's disappearance?"

"Because he's good at what he does," TK reasoned. "Hell, for at least twenty years he's been living a double life without either one of us knowing it. That kind of determination makes me a little nervous. I wonder what else he's been hiding."

"If he's as good as you say, then, by now he's on his way here to confront me." Matt pointed to the silver chain tucked inside his brother's shirt. "I left my cross on Mimi's pillow."

The cross that nestled on TK's chest was identical to the ones Matt and Tai wore. Yuko had given her boys the crosses one night when hell had descended on them, and all three boys had survived because they had stuck together. The decision they had made that night bounded them for life.

TK arched a brow. "You left the cross for revenge's sake or out of concern for her state of mind once she found Gabriel gone?"

Not willing to analyze his actions, Matt said, "I want her to come to me. Face me. If she cares about our son, she'll come."

"My guess is Hiro got a call that Gabriel was taken and he flew out there soon after. You're right. If he finds out it was you who took the kid, we can expect him back here within twenty-four hours."

Matt paced to the window, rubbing his jaw. He hadn't shaved in three days…or slept, for that matter.

"So what do you want to do about Hiro?"

"I have my son. That's what I went there for."

"Is that the only reason?"

Matt turned slowly. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying Hiro's been lying to us for years. Maybe it's time we looked into why that is. Maybe we need to find out what he's hiding in New York beside Mimi Tachikawa."

"I'll go along with that."

"And Mimi? What do you plan to do with her once she shows up?"

Matt wanted it to be all about revenge where Mimi was concerned. It would be easier that way. But when he walked into Mimi's bedroom he had been stopped cold, struck by her familiar scent filling his nostrils.

"Do you think she knows that her ex-husband is in jail for murder?"

"That's an interesting question." Matt returned to the sofa. "It's rather recent news. I suppose it would depend whether Hiro thought it was news he could use to his advantage or not. Either way, at the moment, Mimi should be more afraid of me than her ex."

"Mimi's been through a lot in her life, Matt."

"So I'm supposed to go easy on her because years ago she married the wrong man and his favorite pastime was beating her up?"

"No. I'm saying Hiro has more experience in deceiving people than Mimi."

"The bottom line is, she's been hiding my some from me like some dirty secret. And if it was Hiro's idea, and she was forced into it, she's had plenty of time to find a way to get a message to me. But from what you've said, it sounds like she's been living happily in New York."

Matt wasn't going to accept any excuses. Whatever Mimi's reason was, it would be good enough. And the minute he laid eyes on her, this crazy feeling constricting his chest and tightening his jeans would burn itself out. He couldn't possibly still care about her after what she'd done.

"She looks different."

Matt blinked out of his musing and saw TK studying one of the pictures. "She looks different because she's not wearing a gauze bandage over her eye or a split lip." He couldn't disguise the anger and disgust that tainted his deep voice. He still hated the fact that he hadn't been able to keep Michael from terrorizing her.

His gaze returned to the picture of Mimi walking on the beach. Besides being bruised free, he noticed that she'd cut her hair into a straight, carefree style. Her skin no longer made her look as pale as a ghost, and she wasn't painfully thin. There was a gentle curve to her hips and more definition to her breasts. The only thing he could guarantee looked the same were her beautiful long legs.

Angry that he'd taken the time to dissect the picture, he said, "Not having bruises or gauze bandages doesn't change the facts."

"Which are?"

"That she's a liar and a thief!" Matt swore softly, wishing he hadn't raised his voice. He didn't want his son to wake up to the sound of his father shouting like an angry fool. He didn't want Gabriel to be afraid of him. Not in the way he'd been afraid of his own father when he was a boy.

He and TK had tiptoed around their father, beginning at an early age, to avoid his lectures on loyalty to the family, but they hadn't been able to escape the hourly drills Hiro had forced on them to make his sons weaponry experts. By age thirteen, Matt could nail a target dead center with a six-inch knife from twenty yards away. TK, at age ten, could empty a round ammo into a dummy's head with a 25-caliber Beretta and a .38 Special.

More softly, but just as angrily, he said, "She kept me from my son, TK."

"yesterday you had a right to be angry, my brother. But today you have the boy. Focus on what you want tomorrow. What you want next month or next year. What you want for Gabriel's future."

"What I want for my son is for him to grow up happy doing whatever it is he wants to do with his life. I don't want him to be like us. I don't want him to feel trapped or forced into chasing another man's dream."

TK raised his glass of scotch. "Then, we'll drink to happiness and to changing the future for him."

Matt lifted his glass. "And we'll drink to you, little brother. For making the trip to New York and buying that camera."

TK nodded, his grin softening his eyes. "To Gabriel. May he grow up to be as wise as his father and…" he grinned, "as handsome as his uncle."

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**A/N: **I hope some of your questions were answered while reading this chapter...if not, all I can say is stay tuned to find out (lol)! I'll try to update as soon as I can.

Don't forget to review! Thanks


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! I know you're all waiting for an update. Thank you for the wonderful reviews...please keep sending them. I hope some of your questions were answered on the previous chapter, but this chapter will provide more history on what happened between Matt and Mimi.

Finally, Mimi lands in Japan and must meet face to face with Matt.

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**Chapter THREE**

The sight of the milky blue horizon over Odaiba was glorious, but it had been as fleeting a feeling as the absurd emotional tug that Mimi had somehow come home…home to stay.

Now, as she stood in the lobby of Ishida Towers with a lump in her throat, clutching Gabby's teddy bear, she knew the depth of what she was facing.

The night she left Odaiba, escorted to the airport by two of Hiroaki's bodyguards, Matt's dream had nothing more than a blueprint. Today, Ishida Towers was a work of art, an architectural phenomenon. A city within a city.

Not only was Ishida Towers a grand hotel, but there were condominiums, offices, department stores, boutiques, an art museum, a health club, a grocery store, restaurants, lounges, bars, movie theaters, and a bank.

Mimi had never thought she underestimated Matt's ability. But all of this confirmed that the man she thought she knew was as complex as the dynasty he had built and now commanded.

If she had known before he had touched her what a mega-power he was, or what the future would hold, she would have done things differently. It was something she couldn't answer. That night three years ago, beaten down and desperate, alone and scared, she hadn't expected to be rescued…least of all, rescued by Yamato Ishida.

Countless times she'd gotten herself home from the hospital after one of Michael's outbursts. She could have done it one more time. Then Matt had appeared and completely disarmed her with his take-charge tenderness.

But that was then, and this was now. Last night he had breached a secure compound and stolen his son from under the noses of eight armed guards. And he had done it without a single confrontation. Matt sure does have a ruthless side. Maybe she had always known that. The rumors surely warned her that the Ishida men never turned the other cheek. Never… And she had seen evidence of that with Hiro. He was a hard man, determined to protect his family, whatever the cost.

Mimi checked her watch. It was early, barely eight. She hadn't slept, nor could she until she saw her son and knew he was safe. She eyed the glass elevator…the woman at the front desk said, "You'll find Mr. Ishida's personal elevator in the passageway. Go down hall B, you won't be able to miss it."

As if in a trance, Mimi stepped into the glass box, not thinking it peculiar that the door was standing open as if waiting for her. She pushed the only button visible, and when the door closed, she nervously brushed her long bangs closer to the scar next to her eye.

When the elevator stopped, she buried her free hand…the one that was shaking…in the pocket of her jacket and waited for the door to open. When it did, she was confronted by a man who reminded her of the guards at the estate.

"Ms. Tachikawa?"

"How did you know who I… Never mind."

The man surprised Mimi with a smile. "I'm Davis. Mr. Ishida's…"

"Bodyguard," she finished.

"Here we use the word _assistant_. This way, Ms. Tachikawa."

Mimi followed the brown-haired _assistant_. As they walked along, she saw him lower his head and speak softly into a small gold lapel pin on his suit jacket. She decided he was outfitted with a miniature microphone of some kind that allowed him to speak to his boss.

Moments later, Davis stopped in front of a massive pair of doors. He didn't bother to knock, just swung the door open and moved aside to allow her entry.

Mimi stepped inside, her son's teddy bear gripped tightly in her hand. She didn't know what she had expected to find, but a room shrouded in darkness wasn't it. In the next few seconds, as the door clicked behind her, she saw that a vast wall of vertical blinds behind a sweeping half-circle desk were responsible for the shadows. They hadn't stolen all the light from the room, but it certainly had set the tone fro what undoubtedly was Matt's morning mood.

The expensive leather chair behind the desk was empty. She was in the lion's den, but where was the lion?

She scanned the room and located a silhouette seated at a mile-long bar that looked like it should have been in a nightclub instead of in an office. There was a liquor bottle on the marble surface and beside it a half-empty crystal glass.

He knew she was here. Mimi saw him stiffen on the bar stool. It was ever so slight, but she learned the hard way to be alert. Even the smallest body changes could be a warning.

The key to handling fear was to keep the brain well supplied with oxygen so your thought processes remained clear and your reaction time was lighting quick. Knowing this, Mimi concentrated on slow, deep breathing.

A minute ticked by…then two.

She stood there motionless while he raised and lowered his drink. When the glass was empty, he set it down and gave it a little shove. The heavy glass slid smoothly to the end of the bar with less than an inch to spare. It was a practice maneuver, she decided, perfected over time.

Another minute lapsed before the white leather stool slowly rotated. Mimi's heart skipped several beats, then several more when his blue eyes finally locked with hers.

Yamato Ishida was a good-looking man. She always thought so. Over six feet tall, he had ocean blue eyes, blond hair and a body that looked lean and fit. It appeared he hadn't shaved in three or four days. The stubble, however, didn't detract from his handsome face, it simply added another measure of danger to an already dangerous man.

A minute dragged by before he spoke, but when he did, his deep voice sent raw chills racing the length of her spine.

"Mimi, in the flesh. After all this time, in a heartbeat she returns as quickly as he left. What brings you to town, babe?"

Mimi fought the constriction in her lungs, the sudden weakness in her knees. "You know what brought me here, Matt."

"I'm not sure I do."

He was going to make her say it. "Where's Gabby? Where's my son?"

"You mean 'our son,' don't you, Mimi?" He came off the stool in one fluid motion, gestured to the stuffed animal in her hand. "Is that the bear he keeps asking for?"

"Yes. He sleeps with it." She expected him to be wearing one of his expensive suits. Instead, he wore jeans and a black V-neck sweater that revealed his chest.

Matt was known for his charm and lazy smile, but both were absent as he held his hand for the bear.

Mimi shook her head and pulled the bear close. "I want to see him. I want to see my son."

"No."

"I need to see him, Matt. I need to know that he's all right."

"He's fine."

"Prove it."

"I don't have to prove a damn thing to you, Mimi."

"Let me give him the bear and tell him…"

"Tell him what?"

"That I love him. That everything is going to be all right."

"Is it?"

Mimi's chin started to quiver despite her best attempts to remain strong.

Suddenly he swore. Finally he shouted, "He's my son, damn you! How dare you steal my flesh and blood?"

"Steal? I didn't steal him, Matt."

His nostrils flared as he regarded her with cold eyes. "When were you going to tell me about him, Mimi? When he turns five? Ten? Twenty?"

Mimi refused to give in to the urge to scurry behind his desk. She'd been in similar situations before…a hundred times before. She knew better than to cower or run. Standing her ground, she said, "He's my son, too. I gave him life."

Matt gave a rude snort. "That's the controversy of the century, babe. I believe _I _gave him life."

His words sent Mimi's down his hard body to the area that…yes, had been responsible for giving her son life. Feeling caught, she jerked her gaze back up. "Tell me when I can see my son?"

"When hell freezes. How does that sound?"

"It sounds like something Michael would say, not you."

Another string of obscenities filled the air.

"You have so much, Matt. All I have is Gabby. A child needs his mother."

"But not his father?"

"I never said that…never wanted that."

"What did you want, Mimi?"

She wanted to share their son. To be a family. But that hadn't been possible. "I wanted my baby born healthy."

Her words paused him. "And is he healthy?"

"Yes."

"What kind of mother denies her child a father, Mimi? A father who wants him and has the means to take care of him? If a child can't trust his mother to have his best interests at heart then who the hell can he trust?"

Mimi's own mother walked out on her when she was seven. A few years later her father died and she'd been placed in an orphanage. From the minute Gabby was born, all her energy centered around being a good mother to him. No, not just a good mother…the best mother ever.

"You can accuse me of many things, but not of being a bad mother. Gabby can trust me, Matt. I've kept him safe and warm and happy since the second I learned I was pregnant."

"The way I see it, what you kept him was fatherless."

"That wasn't my fault."

"You're the one who left. He didn't even know about me until last night."

"You told him you're his father?"

"I am his father. Yes, I told him."

Mimi rarely swore, but she did now. "Dammit, Matt, you're a stranger to him. Scaring him half to death in the middle of the night, then confusing him about who he is… You…"

"He's not confused or scared."

"How the hell would you know what he is? You've been a father less than twenty-four hours."

"Not by choice."

Mimi squeezed her eyes shut, her concern for Gabby escalating. She didn't realize she'd forgotten to breathe until a wave of dizziness stole her balance. She swayed, but before she fell, a strong hand gripped her arm. Startled, she blinked her eyes open to find Matt directly in front of her. His fingers bit into her arm as he stared down at her. Unable to hold his gaze, she looked past him to their reflection in the large gilded mirror behind the bar.

Matt's size dwarfed her and again she realized that she was no match for him, and that maybe it would have been smarter to wait for Hiro.

Suddenly he let go of her arm and walked around her. "One or two scars…not bad. You didn't lose your eye."

From the mirror, she watched as he studied her as if she were on an auction block. He circled again, this time stopping behind her. Leaning in, his lips brushed her ear. "Were you able to nurse my son?"

The question might have seemed strange, even crude to anyone else, but Mimi knew why Matt asked it. Her dance with death had kept her in chest bandages for weeks. She had still been in them when she left Odaiba. Nevertheless, the intimacy of the question brought a hot flush to her cheeks. She had slept with this man, had come apart in his arms, yet their affair hadn't really gotten under way until after Michael had put her through her bedroom window and in danger of losing her eye and her right breast.

He came around and faced her. "Well?"

The heat from her cheeks spread over her face and down her neck. She agreed to some reconstructive surgery to repair the damage, but then she learned she was pregnant and decided to postpone it until the baby was born. "Yes, I nursed Gabby." Not waiting for him to delve into her answer and embarrass her further, she stated, "Are you telling me you're not going to let me see my song, Matt?"

"He's not here. He'd spending the morning with a friend."

Mimi tensed. "He's with a stranger. Can you trust this person?"

"I wouldn't have left him with her, otherwise."

_Her._ Sophia Lang… He left their son with his wife. "Is she competent?"

"Of course she's competent."

"How can you be sure? Gabby's a very active child. If you're not used to dealing with children, then…"

"Yuko Kamiya us used to children. And she would never let anything happen to my son."

That was not the answer Mimi had been expecting. Not at all. "Are you saying Tai's mother is watching over Gabby right now?"

"That's right."

Taichi Kamiya wasn't only Matt's friend, he was her friend, too. At least, he had been three years ago. Tai was good and honest, and his mother was the reason he had grown up that way. She was a hard-working woman who supported her family as the owner of a little restaurant downtown.

"She agreed to help me out until I can hire a nanny."

Mimi's maternal instinct flared. "Gabby doesn't need a nanny, Matt. He needs his mother."

"But not his father?"

"All right, yes, we made a baby. And, yes, I didn't tell you. But you weren't honest with me, either. You never told me you were engaged to Sophia Lang." She turned away from him and walked deeper into his spacious office. "I'm telling you right now, the only way your wife will raise my son is over my dead body, Matt. Do you hear me? I won't abandon him out of fear of what you'll do to me."

"Wife? What the heck are you talking about?"

"Don't bother denying it, Matt. Your father told me about her."

"The engagement, Mimi, was called off. I never married Sophia."

His words hit her like a tsunami.

"You left Japan because Hiro told you i was getting married? Is that the story you're selling?"

It was more complicated than that. Far more complicated. Mimi heard herself say, "Our baby's health was the most important thing. If you remember, I had my hands full trying to keep my ex-husband from killing me. Sooner or later, Michael would have shown up again. In bandages and pregnant, what change did I stand against him?"

"So good old Hiroaki offered you money and a free ride out of the country, and you jumped on."

"It wasn't exactly like that."

"How exactly was it?"

"I hadn't been able to work. Money was an issue, but that's not what he offered. What he offered was something better than cash. He offered me a new life without pain and a promise that Gabby would be safe."

"In New York?"

"Yes. He guaranteed me that our child would be born in a safe environment. And he promised I would be able to raise him. You got Sophia and…I got our baby. It seemed fair."

Unexpectedly he moved, closing the distance between them so quickly that Mimi thought he was going to hit her. But instead, he curled his arm around her waist and jerked her up against his hard thighs. "Did Hiro touch you?" he demanded. "Have you been in my father's bed?"

"No."

"Tell me the truth, Mimi!"

The question was absurd. She was close to Hiro, but only because she considered him like a father.

"Hiro never touched me, not in the way you mean. But he has been good to us. When he finds out what you've done, he's not going to like it. He'll come and…"

"Rescue you again?" He shook his head and laughed bitterly. "No, darling, not this time. He'll have to go through me first. And trust me, Hiro's not that stupid. He'll come, but my son won't be going back to New York. And if you want to see him anytime soon, you won't be leaving either."

Chin high, Mimi promised, "I won't abandon my son, Matt."

"Then you've just limited your options, baby." He pressed himself against her, kept his eyes locked with hers. "Maybe some kind of agreement can be made that will satisfy both parties."

She knew what he was suggesting, and the idea of sleeping with Matt made Mimi's knees weak. Three years ago the sex between them had been incredible. What would it be like now that she's bandage-free?

Her voice shaking, Mimi said, "I'll do anything, Matt. Anything but that. I won't sleep with you."

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**A/N: **Don't forget to review! Thanks

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	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_Chin high, Mimi promised, "I won't abandon my son, Matt."_

"_Then you've just limited your options, baby." He pressed himself against her, kept his eyes locked with hers. "Maybe some kind of agreement can be made that will satisfy both parties."_

_She knew what he was suggesting, and the idea of sleeping with Matt made Mimi's knees weak. Three years ago the sex between them had been incredible. What would it be like now that she's bandage-free?_

_Her voice shaking, Mimi said, "I'll do anything, Matt, anything but that. I won't sleep with you."_

The idea of having her naked beneath him took Matt's aroused state and pushed him over the edge. Stone hard and angry as hell, he shoved Mimi away from him, and then turned his back on her.

He had every right to take his child, dammit. Every right to want to hurt her. He was justified, dammit!

Then why did he feel so damn guilty?

Because if she was telling him the truth, it changed everything. She was right about Michael Gibbs. If he had learned she was pregnant, he would have been just that much more determined. And she was right about Sophia, too. He had planned to marry her…in the beginning.

Matt studied Mimi holding onto Gabriel's bear. Her jacket was short and it sent his gaze down her long legs, then slowly back up. It was impossible to look at her lovely legs without remembering how damn good they felt wrapped around his waist.

TK was right. Three years ago there was an unexplained beauty about Mimi. But today she wasn't just beautiful, she was sexy as hell. And that, coupled with the fact that she was the mother of his child and the woman he had never been able to forget, was keeping his chest tight, and the constriction inside his jeans at a choke-hold level. He hoped that after their meeting he would be able to set her aside and concentrate solely on his son. But the fact remained that he still wanted her more than ever.

"Where are your bags?" he demanded.

His question must have surprised her because she floundered for an answer. "Uh…I have a room at the Hiltons."

Matt strolled to his desk and pressed a button on his phone panel. "Shibayama, get someone over to the Hiltons to pick up her bags. Understand?"

"Right away, Mr. Ishida."

From behind his desk, he went back to studying her lovely face. She had always been too pale, but now her skin was a bit tan and the contrast with her brown hair was magnificent.

Her right eye had been patched shortly after he'd met her. The doctors had given her less than fifty-fifty chance of saving it. Now, the only evidence that she experienced hell was two white lines that disappeared into the corner of her eye, and a thin scar on her lower lip.

He moved on to her lush mouth, remembering how the slowly healing cut had prevented him from kissing her with any amount of passion. But there was nothing stopping him from kissing her now.

Angry that she still owed a significant part of his body and his mind, that she likely always would, Matt said, "You'll stay here at Ishida Towers. But for now you won't go near Gabriel."

He heard her suck in her breath, watched her lean over as if she was going to be sick. Her caramel eyes were instantly filled with tears.

"Matt, please. Let me have five minutes with him. Please."

He turned his back on her, walked to the window and pulled open the blinds to let in the morning sun. Minutes passed before he turned to address her once more. "Michael was arrested four days ago. It seems he's not only a wife beater but also a murderer."

She gasped. "He murdered someone?"

"Actually, three people. Remember when Joe Kido was killed just before you left town? Michael was the one who shot him. I won't bore you with the details. I just thought you'd feel better knowing that he's locked up."

"He killed Joe? Why?"

"Because he thought you were sleeping with him. He also tried to kill me and Tai for the same reason."

"Oh God."

She was shaking. In spite of his attempt to remain indifferent, Matt said, "He's crazy, Mimi. The best place for Michael Gibbs is six feet under, but instead he's going to Odaiba Prison. I guess that's the second best place for him."

She brushed a tear clinging to her scarred eye.

"Matt let me see Gabby. Just for a minute. Let me explain why I won't be seeing him for a while, so he doesn't think I've abandoned him." More tears. "Please."

Matt stepped forward and pressed another button on his phone panel. The action brought the door swinging open and Shibayama into his office.

"Yes, Mr. Ishida."

"Find a suite for Ms. Tachikawa. Something with a nice view. She'll be spending a lot of time staring out the window."

* * *

As Matt had so cynically implied she would do, Mimi spent much of the day in front of the living room window, watching the clouds go by.

At times she had gotten so restless that she had paced her plush prison on the forty-sixth floor, wringing her hands and asking herself the same question that plagued her since she faced her son's father. If she had agreed to sleep with Matt, would he have given in and allowed her to see Gabby.

Mimi touched her eye. She'd never been comfortable wearing a lot of makeup, but she practiced enough so that the scars on her face were nearly invisible. She wasn't flawless…but flawless or not, Mimi admitted, if she got the opportunity to strike a deal with Matt a second time, she would do whatever he asked. If it guaranteed her time with her son, she had no choice.

A knock sounded at the front door sometime after seven. Mimi quickly turned from the window and hurried to answer. Her hand on the doorknob, she peeked out the peephole. When she saw who stood outside, her heart sank.

She hesitated just for a second, and in that second, she saw Matt's younger brother pull a key from his pocket.

She opened the door. "What do you want?"

"You, upstairs."

Not opening the door any wider than the width of her body, Mimi asked, "Why?"

"Because there's a problem."

"A problem? With Gabby?"

Without answering the question, he knocked the door open and grabbed her arm. "We're wasting time. Move it."

She shook off his hand and bolted for the elevator. In minutes they were on the top floor of the tower, passing Shibayama…who looked anxious and very glad to see her.

The minute she stepped into Matt's penthouse, Mimi could hear Gabby's screams.

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**A/N: **Thank you for taking time to read this. I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update, but I hope you find it in your heart to leave me a review. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks again!


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! Yes, I know, what took me so long to update? Well, first of all, I have a life...and second, I have a busy life. I've been pretty busy lately with school and work, plus I'm working with new stuff. Right now I'm a writing a story about Finn and Rachel...if you haven't heard of them, they're from the popular tv series Glee. Yes, I'm a fan and a proud GLeek (with a capital "L" hehehe!). It's still a working process, just like this one, and I hope all of you who read my stories support it. Anyways, I've missed writing this story. I have gotten a lot, and I mean A LOT, of emails asking when will I update this story. I just want my readers to know that I'm still alive and quite busy at the moment that's why I haven't updated in forever. It's my goal to finish this story, and I WILL finish it.**

**I hope you enjoy this one. Reviews are very much appreciated.**

**Chapter FIVE**

Frantic, she hurried through the amber-lit foyer and into the living room, barely noticing its lavishness.

"He's in the bathroom at the end of the hall." TK pointed to a hall that disappeared around a dramatic S-shaped wall. "Matt was going to give him a bath before he put him to bed."

"A bath? Oh, no!" Mimi hurried down the hall, led by Gabby's screams. She thrust open the bathroom door, then stopped dead at the sight of Matt standing in the middle of a square bathtub. He was fully clothed in an expensive white shirt and gray suit pants, his jaw was set, and he was trying to restrain their hysterical, naked son.

"Gabby, stop before you get hurt!"

The seriousness in her tone brought Matt's and Gabby's heads around. Her soon immediately stopped screaming, then thrust out his arms. "Mommy! No bath, Mommy. No...bath."

Mimi stepped forward, surprised when Matt thrust Gabby at her. She eagerly took him, and Gabby wrapped his arms around her neck. His little body was trembling, and she cradled him while she searched for a towel to wrap around him.

Facing Matt, she said, "There was an accident on the beach back in America. It happened about a year ago. Gabby was pulled under by the ocean's current. Since then, he's been terrified of water."

"How the hell did that happen? Weren't you watching him? What kind of mother..."

"Don't say it, Matt. I was holding onto his hand. He was only under water for a few seconds."

"But long enough to make him afraid of a damn bathtub for the rest of his life?"

"Don't swear," she said softly, carfule not to chastise Matt too strongly in front of his son. "Not unless you want to him using that word in school in a few years."

Mimi kissed Gabby's silky head, then turned and assessed the bathroom. Spying the large sink in the middle of a ten-foot vanity, she pulled the stop, then ran warm water into it.

"Gabby, honey, let go of Mommy's neck. That's a good boy." She winked at him as his big eyes met hers. Then she kissed his nose. "Shall we play?"

When he nodded, she eased him from her and placed him on the vanity. Making sure the towel was beneath him, she checked the temperature of the water, then added a little more warm to it before sliding his bare feet in. "Doesn't that feel good, Gabby? Wiggle your toes."

He did more than wiggle his toes. He kicked out both feet and sent water up the front of Mimi's sweater and down the front of her jeans. The second kick lifted the water to the mirror and onto the white tiled floor.

Instead of reprimanding her son, she said, "Matt, a washcloth, please."

Mimi heard him step out of the tub, heard him swear again, a little more softly this time and in Japanese. From somewhere behind her, a think white washcloth sailed over her shoulder and plopped into the water. Then the door closed, and she was left alone with her son.

A half hour later, Mimi tucked the teddy bear next to Gabby in his bed and kissed his cheek. "If you need Mommy, just call out. I'll hear you. I promise."

She turned around and found Matt standing in the doorway. He changed into a pair of dry pants...jeans that showed off his lean hips and long legs. A steel-gray V-neck sweater covered his broad shoulders and revealed a hint of hair on his chest.

He shaved, but it didn't soften his set jaw. He was angry with her, possibly even more so now than he had been that morning.

When he backed up, she walked out and started down the hall. Trailing her, he said, "Not too smart making promises you can't keep, Mimi. Tomorrow Gabby will have a nanny, and all of his needs will be met by a professional."

Mimi spun around. "Are you so sure she'll be able to meet all of his needs, Matt? If she had been here tonight, she would have attempted to bathe Gabby, just like you did."

"Your point?"

"My point is that no matter how good your nanny is, she won't be able to replace me. Gabby's afraid of water, and you can tell that to your professional, after you've frightened your son half to death. But do you know what to tell her about his allergies, or are you planning on jumping feet0first into _that_ unknown territory, too?

"Allergies? What kind of allergies? You said he was healthy."

"He is healthy. Just allergic to carrots."

"Carrots? What else?"

Mimi hesitated, then said, "I should let you find out the hard way, Matt. But at whose expense? It wouldn't be yours or your bodyguards, it would be at Gabby's expense. Still, a nanny won't know that he likes broccoli better than peas. Or that he's scared of thunderstorms. Or that he gets constipated if he doesn't drink enough water. But I know those things, Matt. I know them because I've been with our son every minute since he was born."

"Me! The only person he needs is me! His mother!"

He reached out and covered her mouth with his hand. "We're not going to fight in the hall where he can hear us," he whispered hotly.

Mimi opened her mouth and bit down hard on the side of his hand, so frustrated and angry that she reacted before she thought.

"Damn it, Mimi! That hurts!"

The minute she let go, she warned him off with her extended arm. "I'm the only one who should be caring for our son. But have it your way..._daddy._ A Father knows best, right?"

She turned and quickly headed for the door. She didn't want to go, but he was going to send her back to her room anyway. She almost reached the door when he caught her in the foyer and turned her around. Backing her against the wall, he easily pinned her there. He leaned in and snapped, "Damn you, Mimi...Damn your pretty ass."

"And damn you ass right back, Yamato. Now let go! Or I'll -"

"Or you'll what?"

Instead of telling him, Mimi hoisted her knee. As she kicked him in the crotch, Matt swore, then wedged his knee between her legs and gave her his weight. "You should have told me you were pregnant, damnit."

"You should have told me you were engaged!"

"I'm Gabby's father."

"I'm his mother."

The room fell silent as he stared down at her. A full minute passed before he said, "Then the answer is simple, isn't it?"

His voice was no longer full of anger, but of resignation.

"Nothing is simple when it comes to you, Matt. Not one damn thing."

He raised his hand and brushed a finger over her lower lip. "Say it? Say you'll do whatever you have to for the sake of our son. I want to hear you say it."

If she refused him this time, she might never see Gabby again. Never hold him, or hear his sweet voice call her 'Mama'. Life wouldn't be worth living without her son, and she was sure Matt had figured that out. Her chin quivered, but Mimi kept it up anyway. "Okay, Matt," she whispered. "I get to care for Gabby and you get whatever you want."

There was silence. Mimi's chin continued to tremble and Matt stared into her eyes as if he was waiting for her to change her mind. But she didn't, and when another minute passed, he dropped his hand and stepped back.

"There's another room across the hall from Gabby's room. You can move your things in there. Meet me in the sunroom at seven sharp tomorrow morning. I'll tell the cook she has the morning off. Two eggs, three strips of bacon, and coffee for breakfast. Any questions, Mimi?"

She shook her head.

He turned and opened the door. "Shibayama, Ms. Tachikawa is moving again. Get somebody downstairs to pack her things."

"And where will she be moving to, sir?"

Mimi heard several profanities from Matt. "Where do you think, Shibayama? Get her suitcases up here in an hour!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Here I am! As promised, here is another chapter for you to enjoy. I tried to make an update as soon as I can and I hope to do the same on the next chapter. A very big thank you to everyone who wrote a review and sent me quick messages, as well as to those that subscribed to this story. I really appreciate them.**

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**Chapter SIX**

Matt headed for the bar on the tenth floor of Ishida Towers, intent on getting drunk. The idea behind the _Open Twenty-Four Hours_ sign out front was to give the night owls a place to chill - all night long, if need be.

As Matt stepped inside, he saw TK and Tai seated at a corner table. Flagging a waitress, he ordered a double scotch, then slid into the booth.

"Who's watching Gabriel?"

Matt scowled at his brother. "You know damn well who's up there with him. Why in the hell did you stick your nose in my business? I was handling things."

"You were handling things, all right." TK turned to Tai. "You should have seen it dude. Matt was in the bathtub with his shoes on, juggling my screaming nephew like he was a slippery eel. My big brother can make a hundred grand a day pushing buttons on his computer, but when it comes to - "

"Shut up, Takeru."

When Tai chuckled, Matt nailed his best friend with an ugly look. "I don't want to hear what you're thinking. Save it until I'm in a better mood."

Tai schooled his grin. "I wasn't going to say anything, Ishida."

"Like hell you weren't."

"Well, maybe I was going to make one small comment. An observation."

"Just one?"

"Yeah, one. I was going to say, I'm glad it's you and not me. Becoming an overnight father, I mean." Tai glanced at TK. "Did you get pictures? Gabby's first bath with Daddy? We could put them on Mom's conversation wall at the diner."

Matt swore, then reached for the glass of scotch before the waitress could set it down. "Let's get drunk."

"Drunk?" TK grinned. "Hell, yes. It always makes me feel better."

Tai elbowed TK. "Matt doesn't need to get drunk. Neither do you."

"Yes, I do," Matt argued. "I just moved Mimi into the penthouse."

Matt ignored Tai's shocked look and reached for his drink. When he realized it was empty, he looked at his brother, who appeared more surprised than Tai. "Get me another bottle, TK. No, get two."

After TK gestured toward the waitress and held up two fingers, he said, "Things are never black and white. This morning you wanted revenge. Obviously, after getting a good look at Mimi, you've decided on something a little more uplifting." His rugged mouth curved into a wide grin. "Hell, I can't blame you for that. Those photos didn't do her justice. Must have been a poor job of develop..."

"Shut up, TK." Matt rubbed the back of his neck, the day's events giving him a helluva headache. "He's afraid of water," he said absently.

"Who's afraid of water?" Tai asked.

"Gabriel. That's what started this whole mess tonight. There was some kind of accident back in New York." Matt shoved a fifty-dollar bill at the waitress when she brought the two bottles of scotch. "Gabby was on the beach with Mimi and somehow he was dragged under water." He looked over at Tai. His friend's grin was gone, and so was the mischief in his eyes. "You're sure Michael Gibbs is on his way to prison, right?"

Tai nodded. "He confessed yesterday."

"At least that's one problem solved. I don't need to worry about him with Mimi back in town."

"Sora's relieved, too," Tai offered. Sora Takenouchi was Tai's soon-to-be wife. He'd been assigned to protect her a few months ago. It has been a scary couple of weeks, but in the midst of the craziness, Michael Gibbs had been charged with murder and Tai and Sora had managed to fall in love.

TK said, "Letting Mimi stay with Gabriel should make her happy."

"Should I care if Mimi's happy?" Matt didn't mean for the question to be answered. "It's my son's comfort level I'm concerned with. But right now, all he cares about is his teddy bear and his mommy. You should have seen him when he laid eyes on Mimi. He just flew out of my arms to get to her."

"He was just scared, Matt," Tai reasoned.

"He was scared, all right. And I didn't know what the hell to do or say to calm him down."

"That's not your fault," TK argued.

Matt knew his brother and Tai were trying to make him feel better, but it didn't ease his stinging pride. "I thought I had it all figured out this morning. The nanny was going to start tomorrow, Mimi was in a room three floors down...and then all hell broke loose."

"So maybe you shouldn't have moved her in," TK considered. "If you want Gabby to start relying on you, then - "

"Mimi pointed out that I don't know a damn thing when it comes to Gabby's needs. And she's right, I don't have a clue."

"He's a kid, Matt, not a high-tech robot," Tai pointed out. "How complicated can he be?"

TK motioned to Tai. "We can help out."

"So now you two are experts on how much juice my son needs to prevent constipation?"

"What?"

"Never mind." Matt stole a cigarette from TK's pack on the table and lit it. Taking a long drag, he reached for his glass of scotch. "You hear anything from Hiro?"

"No. He's still in America. My guess is he'll be knocking on your door sometime tomorrow if he can get his plane off the ground."

Tai let out a low whistle.

Matt thought it was in anticipation of his confrontation with his father, but as he followed his friend's gaze to the bar entrance, he saw whom the whistle was meant for.

"Damn it." Matt eyed Sophia Lang in royal-blue glitz, noting that the dress advertised her curves like a lit-up billboard for Viagra. "What else can go wrong tonight?"

The minute he'd spoken the words, she spied him and waved, then started over.

TK asked, "How do you want to play this? You plan on telling her you're a daddy, or do we keep Gabriel and Mimi a secret for the time being? The latest rumor is that she's determined to get you to the altar before New Year's."

Matt finished his cigarette. "We don't tell her a damn thing. Not until I talk to Hiroaki."

"What are you doing here, Matty?" Sophia arrived batting her long lashes and smiling like she'd just had her teeth cleaned. "Your secretary told me you were out of town."

"I was." Matt stood, leaned forward and kissed Sophia's flawless cheek.

She glanced at Tai and TK, then at the empty seat. "It looks like there's room for one more." She tilted her head and batted her eyelashes at Matt. Turning slightly, she made sure her breasts brushed his arm. "I haven't seen you in days. Let's catch up."

Matt stepped aside and allowed Japan's mafia princess to slide into the booth, then sat down beside her. Since their breakup, Sophia had been inching her way back into his life. But for the past three months, she'd been pushing harder than ever. He admitted that she was beautiful, with short blonde hair and hazel eyes, but he'd never envisioned himslef marrying her.

"So was it business or pleasure?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your trip?" Sophia licked her lips. "Your secretary didn't say. You're not hiding some big secret, are you?"

Tai choked on his beer, while TK almost bit in half the cigarette he was lighting. But Sophia didn't notice. She was too busy situating herself closer to Matt so he could look down the front of her dress.

The waitress came and took Sophia's drink order. Two margaritas later, she was snuggled close to Matt, purring in his ear. Thirty minutes later, Tai excused himself, claiming he had to go home.

Ten minutes after that, TK's exaggerated yawn warned Matt that his brother was next in line to desert him. He's just as soon not be left alone with Sophia. She would likely invite herself upstairs. She'd done it before.

His son's familiar cry warned Matt that he didn't need to worry about that happening. He jerked his attention to the bar's entrance, and there they were, Mimi and Gabriel.

He watched as Mimi scanned the crowd, while his son continued to demonstrate how healthy his lungs were. When Mimi spotted him, she started forward, weaving her slender body through the crowd.

Disaster was only seconds away, and still he sat there, stupidly staring at the swell of Mimi's breasts crammed into another high-necked sweater, this one white and damn near iridescent from the black lights shining down from the ceiling.

She came to a stop beside his table, her gaze going first to Sophia, then to Takeru, then finally to him. Over the top of Gabby's continued crying, she stated, "Your son wants you. He says you promised him a bedtime story."

She waited a moment, and when Matt didn't say anything, she continued. "I don't know what story. He tells me he doesn't want any of the others I usually tell him. He's informed me that 'The Three Blind Mice'..._suck_. Yesterday that word wasn't in his vocabulary." She offered TK an accusing look, then nailed Matt with one hotter than an open blaze chasing gunpowder. "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep...Daddy. Or can you?"

Sophia had come out of her light buzz the minute Mimi had used the word _daddy._ She stood upright and squared her shoulders. Matt watched her out the corner of his eye as she sized up Mimi, then Gabriel. A second later, he heard her gasp. Recognition had obviously dawned, colliding with Sophia's perfect picture of her future as Mrs. Yamato Ishida.

Suddenly his son stopped crying. After rubbing his sleepy eyes with his tiny fist, he demanded, "Daddy tell me story." Then, so there was no mistake who he was talking to, Gabby thrust himself forward and reached out his arms to his father.

* * *

Mimi stood next to Matt in the glass elevator and tried not to think about what she walked in on at the bar. She actually felt sick when she'd seen Sophia Lang almost sitting on Matt's lap. Her gaze drifted to Gabby in his father's arms. He was so sleepy, and yet her was fighting to stay awake, determined to hear Matt's bedtime story.

When the elevator stopped and the door opened, Matt said, "Did you get moved in?"

"Yes." As Mimi stepped out of the elevator, she said to Matt's private security guard, "JP, did you find someone to get my list?"

The big man smiled. "I saw to it personally, Mimi. Uh...Miss Tachikawa. There's a grocery store on level six. I was able to get everything you needed and it was delivered a few minutes ago."

"JP?" Matt was scowling at her.

Mimi shoved her long bangs out of her eyes. "Yes. JP. Don't you know your guard's name?"

"Of course I know his name." Matt's scowl deepened as he nailed JP Shibayama, then shifted the same hard look back to Mimi. "What's this list you're talking about? What the hell could you possibly need that I don't have?"

"Don't swear, Matt. Not unless you want - "

"Gabriel swearing at his teachers. Yeah, I got it. So what else do you need, besides a case of prune juice?"

Matt followed Mimi into the penthouse. When the door closed behind them, she said, "Apple juice and orange juice, not prune. And milk. And he doesn't have enough teeth to chew steak. Squid is a bit rich, and I haven't introduced him to eggplant or broccoli just yet. And cabbage can be gassy."

She could see that she had completely lost him. Good.

"So I need to keep mushy peas and dog food on hand. Is that what you're telling me?"

"Peas, yes. Dog food only if you plan on giving him a puppy. Gabby would love that. We also need protective covers for the outlets and a doezen nigt-lights. He sometimes comes looking for me and no doubt he'll come looking for you, too. That is if you can deliver the bedtime story you promised. The protective covers are for the electric outlets because children are attracted to them."

Matt gave a quick nod.

Mimi looked at her son, half asleep on his father's shoulder. Gabby had bonded with Matt in an alarmingly quick fashion. For two and a half years he looked to her for his every need and comfort. But in a matter of one day he'd become captivated by his father.

Angry that Matt seemed to have that effect on both of the,, she said, "Are you going to tell that story or was that just a lie?"

"I know a dragon story."

She watched as Matt headed down the hall to Gabby's bedroom. She had the urge to follow, just to make sure that the story actually existed. She resisted - that is, until fifteen minutes had passed and her curiosity got the best of her.

Outside the bedroom, she stood quietly and peered inside. She expected to see Gabby in bed, but the bed was empty. She scanned the room and found Matt sitting in a rocking chair that had been pulled close to the window. He was rocking slowly. The dragon story must have been told to Gabby's satisfaction because he was now snuggled against his father's chest with his eyes closed.

The sight brought tears to Mimi's eyes. That first year she had held onto the hope that things would change, that Matt would come looking for her in New York. Night after night, she looked outside her window, hoping he would suddenly appear. She'd been dedicated to the dream, but that's all it was - a silly dream.

Mimi walked across the hall into her bedroom. Exhausted, but too restless to sleep, Mimi studied the elegant room decorated in shades of blue and silver. Like the rest of the penthouse, the furniture was lush and the windows oversize. Nowhere in the entire place could you escape the feeling surrounded by Tokyo's amazing skyline.

After an hour of pacing, Mimi opted for a shower to help her relax. Afterward, feeling marginally better, she left her private bathroom, tying the belt of her black satin robe. She didn't realize she wasn't alone until she had come fully into her room. Stopping abruptly, she saw Matt standing near the window, looking outside. Without provocation, he turned, his eyes moving over her slowly from head to toe.

Mimi's heart began to pound the second he started toward her. Again her body was anticipating his touch the way it had years ago - the way it had that morning. He stopped mere inches from her and reached for the tie on her robe. Instinctively, Mimi grabbed his hand. "Matt, please. Can't we talk about this. I mean, I..."

"The deal was, you get to be with Gabriel and I get whatever I want. What I want tonight is you in my bed."

Mimi knew what she agreed to do. And under different circumstances, she would have surrended to him. Only, she wasn't the same person any longer. She had been left scarred, and she was sure he didn't realize just how bad it was. For a time she just felt ashamed, but now she felt protective of her body and vowed never to let anyone hurt her again.

She said firmly, "I can't do this, Matt. I thought I could, but you don't understand."

"I understand that we made a deal."

"I know that, but..."

"Do you have someone in America that you care about?"

"No, it's not that. I just can't let you touch me."

She could feel hear creeping up her neck and into her cheeks, feeling her throat closing off and her eyes stinging. She tried to move past him, but he threaded his fingers through the belt and yanked her up against him. Thinking he meant to force her, Mimi panicked and slapped him.

He released her suddenly, and for a moment he just stood there, then he walked to the open door. There he stopped and said, "What is in my home, I own. You, Mimi, have chosen to be in my home. Therefore, you are mine."

"No! I'm not any man's property. Never again. I'm..."

"Mine...if you don't like that arrangement, darling, then leave my home tonight. Stay, and I'll assume you're willing to honor our arrangement."

"I'm not leaving my son," Mimi insisted.

"Then, in the future when I ask you a question, you will give me the truth as you know it. And when I tell you to do something, you will do it no matter what. Don't tell me 'no' again, Mimi." As he walked down the hall, he turned back and added, "Tomorrow morning set the breakfast table for two. You'll be joining me."

* * *

**A/N: Don't hate me if Matt acted like a big jerk in this chapter (especially at the end), but he doesn't mean half of what he said. He's just used to getting what he wants, but he'll become nicer and more gentle eventually. In the future chapters you will learn more about Matt's background and why he is what he is now. And there will be a chapter with Hiroaki "Hiro" Ishida (Matt and TK's father) and a confrontation between father and son.**

**Please review or leave a small message about what you think about this story so far. If you have questions, please ask. I love hearing your thoughts about how the story is progressing. Until next time :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello to all you lovely people! I hope I did not make you wait too long, but I am sure you will love this chapter because it is mostly Mimato and I had to double check with the story rating because, if you haven't noticed, Matt swears a lot and there are sexual contents in this story so I apologize in advace, but those are essential to make this Mimato fic awesome! Lol!**

**I do not own Digimon, however, all mistakes and typos are mine. :)**

**Enjoy reading!**

**Chapter Seven**

Matt entered the breakfast room the next morning, feeling the effects of too much alcohol and not enough sleep. He found Mimi in jeans and a navy-blue sweater, pouring coffee into a cup at the table. His two eggs and three strips of bacon were on the table, along with toast and juice.

He realized that he handled things badly the night before. This morning he intended to take things a little slower. At least that had been the plan until he noticed that the table was only set for one. Before he could gentle his words, they were out.

"Dammit, Mimi, I thought I told you to join me this morning!"

"I can't join you when I'm serving you."

Matt stiffened. "If you're trying to see how far you can push me, darlin', I'd advise against it. My home, my rules. Remember?"

"I don't eat breakfast."

"Start. Tomorrow this table will be set for two, and you will have something on your plate. A bagel. A muffin. Fruit. Fingernails. I don't give a damn what. Eat something. Is that understood?"

He tossed his suit coat toward an empty chair and sat. After slapping the white cloth napkin he found next to his plate onto his knee, he reached for the glass of juice. A healthy swig later, he glanced up to find her still standing there, like a maid waiting to serve him.

Scowling, he said, "Sit down...please."

She rounded the small table and sat across from him.

He picked up the toast, dipped it into his eggs and started to eat. Two bites into his breakfast, he realized she remembered that he liked one-minute eggs, his toast light and his bacon crisp.

How the hell did she remember that? They'd eaten breakfast together maybe twice, and if his memory served him correctly, he did the cooking both times.

While he chewed, he studied her face. She looked like she hadn't slept any better than he had. "Were you up with Gabby last night?"

"No. He slept through the night. He's still sleeping."

"Is that normal?"

"Sometimes he sleeps until nine, but not usually. I checked him and he's fine."

Matt dug into his breakfast, enjoying the taste more than he had in ages. His cook couldn't seem to get the bacon any way but limp, and his eggs were always too hard. "Today I want you to make a list of what you and Gabby will need to be comfortable here. I'll tell my secretary to expect your call. Get the number from Shibayama."

"Your secretary does your shopping?"

"That's right."

"Well, she's not going to do mine. I'll manage with what I brought until either we're back in the states or I'm no longer under house arrest."

"Gabby is staying here, Mimi. He's not going back to America. The sooner you realize that, the better off you're going to be." When she didn't say anything, he continued. "You're going to need a winter coat. Gabby, too. Hats. Gloves. Boots. If you remember, winters here can be a pain in the ass."

"Have you heard from your father?"

"No. But I expect him today. Unless he changed his mind."

"He'll come. And when he does, you'll agree to send us back. Hiroaki will insist on it."

She was definitely trying to piss him off.

"He won't let you hurt either one of us."

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me this morning?"

"That would be stupid, Matt. Everyone in this city knows the Ishida boys are bullies. What chance do I have against a man who's never lost a fight? That's why Hiro..."

He reached out and shoved the last bite of his toast into her mouth. "Dammit! Enough about my father!"

As she chewed his toast, he took a sip of his coffee, then rested his arms on either side of his plate. "If you lose a fight in this town, baby, there's a good chance you won't be breathing the next day. I'm not a bully, I just don't roll over easy."

"Is that what you intend to teach our son when he's older?"

He wasn't ready for that question, but in his heart he knew the answer. He would teach his son every clean trick he knew, as well as Takeru's dirty ones twice. Then he'd have him spend some serious time with Tai.

Aware she was waiting for his answer, he leaned forward and locked eyes with her. "I can't change who I am, Mimi. And you can't change the fact that Gabby is my son. What I intend to do is give him the tools he'll need to become what he must."

"And what must he become, Matt?"

"A survivor. I think you'll agree that the most basic skill a person needs to learn is how to survive."

She turned her head to stare our the window. "Yes, of course, you're right. Survival is everything."

He intentionally reminded her of what she lived through when she had been married to Michael. He hadn't done it to be cruel or insensitive. He tossed up the past because he never wanted her to become someone's victim again.

As she continued to stare out the window, Matt studied her. He'd never seen her without a bruise until yesterday, and that fact hadn't allowed him a moment's peace. Truthfully, now he couldn't get his fill of looking at her.

"Matt, stop." She turned back to face him, resting a hand next to her eye to hide the scar that was more visible today than it had been yesterday.

"You don't need to hide your scars, Mimi."

"You keep staring."

Matt reached out and pulled her hand away, then ran his thumb along the scar next to her eye. "Takeru says a person without scars hasn't lived. He says they trace the past and that instead of running from the memory, you should embrace it. He claims it makes you stronger."

"He certainly looks...strong."

Matt caught himself smiling, sensing that wasn't the word she would have liked to use. "Don't let my little brother fool you. He's not as hard as he looks."

Her hand went back to the scar next to her eye. "If you say so."

He sobered. "The scars haven't stolen your beauty, Mimi. You're still lovely and beautiful as ever."

She made a big deal of glancing at her watch. Obviously uncomfortable with his compliment, she was anxious to make her escape. "If you're usually in your office by eight, you're going to be late."

Matt shrugged, then glanced at his cup of coffee. "Could you pour me another cup of coffee and bring it to me? I'll be in my room."

* * *

Mimi stood at Matt's bedroom door with his suit coat draped around her arm and a fresh cup of coffee. She took a deep breath, then pushed open the half-closed door. She expected his bedroom to be as grand as the rest of his home, but the bed was definitely a surprise, as well as the platform, four steps above the rest of the room, where the bed overlooked the city.

"Mimi, over here."

Mimi blinked, scanned the room and found Matt standing in front of a long glossy black vanity. He was watching her as he straightened his tie in front of a mirror.

She stepped into the room, felt the lushness of the carpet, as she set down the coffee on a table. Her gaze slowly travelling to the large windows covered with sheer white drapes. It looked like the view was the room's art focus. Self-conscious of how much time she spent examining the room, Mimi headed for the couch and draped the suit coat over it, then started for the door.

"I'd like you to arrange for the nanny to come by so you can meet her."

His words stopped Mimi. Turning she said, "I thought we agreed that I would take care of Gabby.'

"We did agree, but you can't be with him every second of the day."

"That's where you're wrong, Matt. I've been with him every day since he was born."

"I don't have an ulterior motive here, Mimi. I couldn't run Ishida Towers without help...that doesn't make it any less mine. The nanny will be your help-mate, not your replacement. That is, not unless you fly back to America."

The last was said to bait her, Mimi decided.

"The nanny's number is on the fridge. If and when you want to meet her, give her a call. If not today, then maybe tomorrow."

She wasn't going to call the old lday, but she nodded just the same. "I didn't bring cream or sugar. You still like your coffee black, don't you?"

"Black coffee, one-minute eggs and crisp bacon. You got it. Good memory." He had no idea what else she remembered, but when Mimi started to leave, he called out to her once more. "Mimi?"

She stopped but didn't turn this time. "What is it, Matt? I should check on Gabby."

"I just did and he's still sleeping. Turn around and face me when I'm talking to you, would you?"

She did as he asked, and found he was no longer watching her in the mirror. He turned around, too.

"You'll like the nanny. Trust me on this, Mimi. She has a lot of experience."

"Just because you're Gabby's father and you have me in a tight spot at the moment, Matt, doesn't mean I'm going to do everything you tell me to do. Not where Gabby is concered. He's an innocent child who didn't ask to be..."

"Born an Ishida." His brows furrowed. "You don't have to keep reminding me what kind of legacy I've handed to my son, Mimi."

The heavy regret in his eyes and in his voice made Mimi pause. She found herself wanting to ease that regret. She shouldn't make herself any more vulnerable than she already was. But there was true sadness in his expression, and so she said what she was feeling...what she had felt from the moment she learned she was pregnant.

"I'm not sorry Gabby's your son, Matt. You're reading me wrong if that's what you think. He's perfect in every way. My only regret is that..." Mimi stopped, weighed her confession, weighed what it would cost her if she went further.

"Your only regret is what, Mimi?"

"That, instead of your father, I wished it had been you driving me to the hospital. That it had been you Gabby had walked to when he took his first steps."

It was obvious that wasn't what he had expected her to say. His expression opened up, and in that second, Mimi saw her regret was his own.

Slowly he came towards her. Mimi wished he would stay where he was, wished she hadn't confessed her true feelings. She needed to be able to think clearly, and she found out yesterday that when he got too close, she had a hard time focusing on anything but the memories of how it felt to be wrapped in his strong arms.

He kept coming until they were toe to toe, and his masculine scent surrounded her. He said softly, "I wish I had been there, too. You said Hiro was there?"

"Yes."

"It should have been me instead of my father."

The strength and depth of his words made Mimi shiver. Softly she said, "Yes, it should have been you."

"Meems..." His gaze had softenend, and suddenly he was looking at her with a kind of curious expression. As if he had a dozen questions to ask her. Before he started, she said, "I'd like to go now."

"Why? Don't you like my bedroom?"

His question sent her gaze back to the bed. "It's a beautiful room."

Without warning, he wrapped one arm around her and pulled her into the heat of his body. "You've done a good job with our son, Mimi."

He had no idea what it meant to hear him say that. Eyes closed, she relaxed into him, unable to resist. "Children are so vulnerable," she whispered. "So innocent and they have so many needs."

"Everyone has needs," he murmured. "Who's been meeting yours for the past three years, Mimi?"

His words startled her. "What?"

"You heard me. Now answer the question. Who's been meeting your needs?"

His tone had changed and it was no longer easygoing. Once again, he was being very direct and territorial. She tried to step back, but his arm tightened around her.

"How long, Mimi? How long has it been since you've been kissed? And touched?" His hand slid down to her ass and curving her backside, he slowly slid them between her legs.

Mimi stifled a moan. "Matt, please..." She could feel his lower body come alive and her breasts began to tingle, her nipples puckered. Afraid he would notice, she said, "Yamato...stop...please."

He didn't back off. Instead, he gripped her chin so she could no longer avoid his eyes. "I remember. I remember how it was, Mimi. Even a wounded butterfly has needs."

Mimi felt her cheeks grow hot. "No."

"Do you expect me to believe you haven't been touched or intimate with someone in three years?"

"I don't care what you believe. I haven't been kissed or with anyone since you..." The words had slipped out before Mimi realized what she was saying. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she revealed too much.

"Say that again."

Without looking at his face, she knew he was trying to decide whether to believe her. she obviously shocked him. She even shocked herself at that confession. She forced her eyes open and tried to pull away from him, but he easily countered that by moving his free hand to the back of her head to force her to look at him.

His voice was softer when he finally asked, "There's been no one since me? Is that what you're saying, Mimi?"

She tried to get away, but his hands kepy her in place and closer to his body.

He stared at her lips. "Three years is a long time, baby." As if he read her mind, he gyrated his hips, clearly letting her feel his aroused state.

_Oh god..._

"You remember, don't you, Mimi? If you remember how I like my eggs and coffee, you sure as hell remember the rest."

"No!" She shook her head wildly. "No, I don't."

"Liar. Kiss me, baby."

"Yamato, no!"

"Let's see if you taste as sweet as I remember."

"No!"

"You always liked my kissed. Let's see if you still do."

Slowly he lowered his head, stealing her breath the second his lips touched hers. Then, slowly, his tongue pushed its way into her mouth.

Seconds later, as Mimi expected, the kiss turned into a blazing dance of old memories and reawakened passion. A dance that confirmed she liked his kisses...his tongue...and remembered everything.

* * *

**A/N: Things are heating up between these two and I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a review. Next chapter will be up soon.**

**Also, I would like to thank all of you for being so wonderfully patient with me. For the people who sent me messages and wrote a review, thank you! I did my best to reply and answer your questions, and I apologize if I missed some of you or if you did not hear back from me. You are all in my thoughts and I appreciate each and every one of you.**

**Love love love! xo**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! As promised, here's the new chapter to OSN. A very very BIG THANK YOU for all the reviews and messages I received about the previous chapter. You don't know how much it means to me to hear from you, and it makes me so happy you are loving this story so far. I'm sorry to those who did not get a reply from me because you're anon or do not have an account where I can reach you. However, you're all in my thoughts and I thank you as well.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Digimon, nor its characters. Mistakes / typos are all mine though.**

**So, on with the story. Enjoy! And let me know what you think :)**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Her lips were painted bloodred and the color made them look too big. Matt watched Sophia Lang glide into his office, wearing half her fortune on her ears and the other half around her neck. His gaze traveled back to her lips and, without intending to, he began comparing them to Mimi's sexy small mouth. From there, Sophie faded into the woodwork.

It had been the moan that convinced him Mimi was telling the truth. He'll never forget the ache in it, or the way she damn near shattered when his tongue entered her mouth. Her response had put the candles on the cake in one damn big hurry, and he'd been ready to carry her to his bed and make love to her all morning long...if Gabby hadn't appeared in the doorway rubbing his eyes and declaring he was hungry.

"Matt."

His name on Sophia's too-wide red lips brought Matt to his feet. "I'm glad you could make it." He motioned to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"You've been a naughty boy, Matt. I should be furious with you, but what would be the point?" She brought her white-gloved hands up, shaming him as if he were a five-year old, then slipped onto one of the leather chairs.

One she was settled, he sat.

"My mother used to say men are animals on two legs. Find one monogamous creature among them and you have to wonder what's wrong with him." She peeled off her gloves, one finger at a time. "The important thing is not to let the situation ruin our future."

Matt set his jaw.

She smiled. "Did you think I would throw away everything over one little tramp? It's obvious all she wants is money, Matt. Women can be such manipulative bitches. If last night's little performance wasn't planned, I'll eat my six-carat emerald earrings. So how much does she want?"

Matt sat back and studied Sophia. Vincent Lang, her father, should be proud. His daughter turned out as greedy and ruthless as he was. He said, "When a man sleeps with a woman, he knows what can happen."

"That's what I love about you, Matt. You're a man who doesn't dodge his responsibilities."

Matt knew what she was saying, knew that look. Sophia was suggesting that first and foremost, he had a responsibility toward her. But she was wrong. He had never promised her anything. "So you're suggesting a settlement and a plane ticket."

"Perfect! You and I really do think alike, Matt."

"But we don't, Sophia. Not at all. I have a son. I didn't plan him, but I want him. He's mine and I intend to raise him here."

"Don't be a fool, Matt. That's what boarding schools are for."

"I love him."

"You what?"

"I love my son."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Oh please... You're joking, right? How can you love something that makes that much noise?"

Matt grinned. "He's two and a half years old, Sophia. Making noise is how he communicates when he's not happy."

"Then, if I scream and cry, will I get my way, too?"

"No."

"What are you trying to say, Matt?"

"That you should start shopping somewhere else for a husband."

Sophia's eyes narrowed. "This isn't just about your son, is it? You haven't had your fill of his mother yet, have you.'

Silence.

"I've done my homework, Matt. Her name is Mimi Tachikawa and she's so far beneath you it isn't even funny. Her own mother didn't want her and her father went crazy and killed himself."

Sophia wasn't telling him anything he didn't already know. After Mimi disappeared, he had dug up everything he could find on her in hopes that it would help him locate her. He knew what happened to Mimi after her mother abandoned her. He also knew her father became an alcoholic shortly after that, and a few years later took his own life.

"There are men who enjoy being with low-class women...women who will forever be beneath them. They do, however, lack a certain amount of brains and social skills, Matt. You need an asset at your side, not an underfed orphan with sad eyes and bad manners."

Matt glanced around his lavish office. "As you can see, Sophia, I'm not looking for more assets."

"She's that good, is she? You know I can be whatever you want. I'm sure I can be wild in bed if that's what you like. All you have to do is tell me what you want."

What he wanted was Sophia gone and out of his life. For good this time. His gaze swept her full breasts...breasts he knew for a fact were flawless and as plump and ripe as melons. But they held no appeal. All he could think about...picture in his mind...was Mimi's sweet delicate breasts.

Suddenly he stood. "I've got to get to a meeting. I'm glad we could clear this up so quickly."

"But we haven't cleared anything up, Matt. Aren't you forgetting about the deal?"

"What deal is that, Sophia?"

"The one your father made with Ichiou Kuran years ago. The one that involved my father."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course you... Oh my, you really don't know, do you? Is that why..." She covered her mouth and started to laugh. "Your father never told you."

"Told me what?"

She stood up. "Poor Matt."

"Answer my question, Sophia."

She continued to laugh, then started for the door. "We'll never be over, sweetheart. Never. My advice to you is to get that skinny tramp and that noisy brat of yours gone before it's too late." She turned and this time the laughter was gone. "Then again, don't bother. It's already too late for them."

* * *

"How's Ivy doing?"

"She's doing better. The doctor told me that the stroke wasn't as serious as the last one."

Relieved, Mimi showed Hiroaki Ishida into the living room of Matt's penthouse.

"How's my grandson?"

Before Mimi could answer, Gabby said, "Otay, Papa."

Mimi never questioned why Gabby was drawn to his tough-looking grandfather. Like his son, Hiro Ishida was tall and showed a world of experience in the age lines on his face. Mimi had to admit that the black eye patch Hiro wore added to his overall tough-guy look, but she'd seen the gentle side of this man with Ivy and their daughter Zoe, had watched him on the beach with his grandson. She had heard him laugh, a rich heavy rumble that made her stop and stare.

"Zoe told me Matt took Gabby right out from under the noses of my guards."

Hiro's raised voice made Gabby cringe, and when Hiro realized he frightened his grandson, he softened his voice and reached out for the little boy. "Come to your papa, Gabby. Let me see how big you've gotten since last time I saw you."

Mimi handed over her son.

"Daddy's room dat way, Papa." Gabby pointed toward the hall.

Since the day he wandered into Matt's room and found his parents kissing, Gabby couldn't stop talking about his daddy's room, or the 'big round bed'. He'd been complaining that he was hungry until he saw the bed on the platform and the wall-size TV. Since then, he'd been convincing Mimi that he should take his afternoon nap on Daddy's bed.

"I'm on my way to see Matt," Hiro said, "but I wanted to check on you and see how you're holding up."

"I'm fine. We both are."

Matt's father looked exhausted. His concern for Ivy was partly responsible, but Mimi knew that Matt's actions had only added to his father's worry.

"I should have told him years ago, you know. I suppose he's blazing mad. A furious Matt is ten times worse than TK backed in a corner."

"Yesterday he was pretty mad," Mimi agreed. "Today, he's a little less unreasonable."

"Did he tell you how he found out about you and Gabby at the estate?"

"No."

"Did you mention Ivy and Zoe?"

"Of course not. If Matt knows about them, he learned it from someone else, not me. I know how important it is to keep them a secret."

"Until I can get you back on a flight to New York, don't speak to anyone and stay inside."

Gabby squirmed to be put down. and when Hiro set him on the sloor, he ran for the hall. "I gotta jus yook, Mommy. I no touch nuffin. I pomis."

"Your grandson loves it here," Mimi said. "I thought he would hate it, but in one day, he acts like it's always been his home."

"Mimi, don't do that. You can't stay. This can never be home for either of you. Don't make the mistake of thinking you and Matt will ever be able to raise Gabby together. For that to happen, Ichiou Kuran's world would have to come crashing down around him. And he's too powerful for that ever to happen."

"I don't think Matt's going to agree to give up his son."

"He will once I tell him why. I should have told him the truth years ago. My pride wouldn't allow it, and the past is back, threatening all of our lives. I'm sorry about that, Mimi. Sorry you've been caught in the middle since day one."

"You should have told me that he never married Sophia."

"I thought it would be easier for you if you thought he'd moved on. Sophia Lang is his future, whether he wants her to be or not. He must realize that."

Resigned, Mimi said, "I know why we should go back, Hiro. That doesn't make this any easier. Not now, not after Matt knows he has a son. You should see them together. Gabby adores him and they get along so well. It's as if..." She stopped herself. "I'll go back, Hiro. I will, but only with Matt's blessing. This time I won't runaway. I can't."

"Matt's a lucky man, Mimi. But your loyalty to my son makes this just that much harder."

"It's more than loyalty, Hiro."

"I know you love him. And it's true we can't choose who we love. Just ask me, I'm an expert on forbidden love."

"I'm not sorry," she said softly. "I'm not sorry that I love Matt. I've never been sorry."

Mimi turned away to hide her damp eyes. Seconds later, the memory of Matt's morning kiss came back to her on a wave of emotion. The kiss had been full of passion. So open and so honest that it had left her not only breathless and shaken, but also with a promise that maybe someday he would be able to forgive her for keeping Gabby from him.

"Matt told me that Michael Gibbs is in jail."

"I intended to tell you."

Mimi heard Hiro come up behind her. She turned in time to see him digging in his pants pocket. "Here." He handed her a small .22 gun. "Take this and hide it somewhere that you can get to it quickly if you have to. It's loaded. You know how to use it, right? It's the one you practiced with, so it's not a stranger to you."

Mimi took the gun. Hiro insisted she learned how to shoot a gun. How to defend herself. She had never been afraid of guns. Her ex-husband was a cop. Guns had been part of his life.

Hiro touched her cheek. "Be safe, my dear. Until I can get you and Gabby back home, trust no one. And remember, don't mention Ivy to anyone. Or Zoe. No one can know that Ivy is alive or that she and I have a daughter."

* * *

**A/N: I just noticed we're now over a 100 reviews! WOW! You guys are amazing! This won't be possible without you, who spend a little time writing your thoughts and comments (long or short I love it!), and I just friggin' love you all for being the best! You definitely made my weekend! :D**

**Love love love! xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello lovely people! As promised, here is the new chapter of OSN. Just a quick info, it's a filler chapter that will surely answer all the questions you've been asking me in your reviews and messages (I hope!). Out of all the chapters in this story, I think this was the hardest one to do, but I hope it will clear things up and make sense for you in the end. This chapter is very crucial to the whole plot so please bare with me if you find it boring...lot's of information and details and new characters are introduced here.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Digimon...but mistakes and grammatical errors are 100% mine! :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"You're an idiot, Matt."

Matt looked up from his desk to see his father charging into his office, and without hesitation he said, "And you're a lying son of a bitch, Hiro."

"You should have come to me the minute you found out I had her. What were you thinking? No, forget that. You weren't thinking at all! You could have gotten yourself and your brother killed breaking into my estate like thieves. My men are instructed to shoot first and ask questions later. Dammit, Matt, I taught you better than that!"

"What you taught me, Hiro, was to hold onto what is mine. Or in this case, take it back." Matt was determined not to lose his head. He had gone over how he would handle his father, but Sophia's visit had tossed him a curve. And an hour ago, he'd gotten his eyes opened farther. At the moment, his emotiones were racing in two different directions.

He came to his feet, moved away from the desk. "I wouldn't have been forced to act like a thief once I arrived at your estate if my name had been on the list at the front gate. After all, I am your son. Oh, that's right, I forgot. You go by a different name now."

"So you know the estate is mine and that when I'm there I go by an alias." Hiro reached into his pocket, pulled out a fat cigar and stuck it between his lips. After lighting it up and blowing several rings of smoke, he poked his finger and the cigar at his son. "What else? I want to know everything you've got on me."

"Information costs, Hiro."

"Bullshit! Listen you mouthy son of a bit..."

The second Hiro started across the room, Matt took off his suit coat and tossed it. "Bring it on, old man. I'm damn anxious to send you to the floor."

Hiro stopped himself. "Knocking me on my ass isn't going to fix this."

"But it will make me feel better." The only thing Matt wanted to do at that moment was to stuff his fist down his father's throat. "What's the matter, pops, no guts?"

"I got plenty of guts, boy. What I don't have is a death wish. I know you can be as tough as your brother, but the only difference is it takes a little more to set you off. And when you're fighting for a cause there isn't anyone tougher than you in this whole damn city."

"I've been looking for Mimi for three years, you bastard. Three long years and you had her the entire time."

"I had my reasons. Damn good reasons. And I'm here to explain them, if you're willing to listen."

"You kept me from my son. What kind of father are you, Hiroaki?"

"The kind who would do whatever needed to be done to keep you alive and my grandson."

The room fell silent. Scowling, Matt motioned to the row of empty chairs. "Okay, pops. Let's hear it."

His father came forward, reached for the ashtray on the desk, then chose the farthest chair in the row and sat down. "One of my men tailed you that night. The night you and Takeru took Mimi home from the hospital. The first night."

Matt returned to his chair. "We haven't needed tails since we were boys, Hiro."

His father shrugged. "I never ran steady tails on you and your younger brother. They weren'y twenty-four hours, but they were expected to call me once a day and tell me where you were and what you were doing. That's how I knew from the beginning that you were interested in Mimi Tachikawa. It was a surprise, I'll admit that. She was Michael Gibbs' wife and he was working for us. I thought that was a bit reckless on your part, but..."

"Ex-wife," Matt corrected.

Hiro puffed on his cigar. "Yes, she was his ex, but Michael didn't see it that way. He wanted her back in his life. Divorced or not, he always saw her as his."

Matt's jaw jerked. "That might be the way Michael saw it. I saw it different."

"Mimi's a beautiful woman. But three years ago no one could have convinced me of that. You know that better than anyone. She was going through hell and she looked like it."

Matt leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk. "Old news, Hiro. Move on."

"I had no intention of interfering. I really believed you'd have your fun with Mimi and then settle into a life with Sophia by end of the year, like we planned. But you broke off your engagement and the next thing I knew, I got a call from one of my men telling me Mimi was pregnant. Of course, there was a possibility that the baby wasn't yours...that it could have been Michael's child. I was hopeful, but I had to be certain. I went to see Mimi. She was wary of me but she stood her ground. Strong women are rare and I liked her right from the start. I understood then why she appealed to you."

Matt sat back and rubbed his jaw as he listened.

"She confirmed my fears. She said she was pregnant. And when I asked her if you were the father, she didn't admit it right away. But I knew the second I mentioned your name that it was your baby. When she touched her belly and raised her chin... She was already protective of the baby, and me showing up and asking questions must have been unsettling for her. When she finally admitted it, I knew what I had to do."

Hiro unbuttoned his suit jacker and spread it wide to reveal his 9-mm gun tucked into a leather shoulder holster. "What pisses me off is, I thought I taught you better than that, Matt. I thought I was clear on the rules of the game. And one of those rules is, you can take whatever you want as long as you don't leave behind incriminating evidence. A baby is damn incriminating evidence."

"Is there a point to this segment of your story?"

"There is. Rule two, if you don't want someone going behind your back and cleaning up your mess, don't leave one. And there's nothing wrong with paying for sex. Doesn't matter how much money you spend on a one-night stand. Just keep it uncomplicated and the most important of all is, don't help yourself to another man's property because it always goes sour in the end."

"I guess you're an expert at that," Matt taunted. "At least I didn't steal my best friend's wife, then turn my back on her when things got..._sour_."

Hiro lunged forward. But before he could get close enough to put his hands on his son, Matt pulled an open knife from the top drawer of his desk and pointed it at his father. "Sit down, Hiro."

His father eased back into the chair. "Okay, you're right. I wanted Ivyand I took her. And I paid for it. It was a hard lesson...a lesson I thought I had passed on."

"Don't you mean it was Ivy who paid the price?"

Hiro swore, then left the chair and headed to the bar. He poured scotch into a glass and quickly drank it. Glaring at Matt from across the bar, he said, "You're right, Ivy paid the price. I ignored the rules and she got caught in the middle. I lost my best friend and he lost his wife." Hiro poured himself another drink. "Your mother was dead and I was alone, Matt. I took care of business, raised my sons the best I knew how, and went to bed alone. I did that for many years. A man gets lonely for a woman's touch. I'm sure you can relate to that."

"What's wrong with paying for it? You could have paid another woman if you wanted." Matt taunted.

"That would have been the smart thing to do." Hiro finished off his drink. "But like you, I was young and felt invincible. Ottu Shiji and I were climbing the ladder fast at the time. Our territories were growing. Money was starting to come easy. When Ottu would take Ivy out for dinner dates, he started asking me along. Ivy was a lovely woman and she had the sweetest smile. I started looking forward to those dinners. Then I started imagining what it would be like to make to Ottu's wife."

Hiro stepped around the bar and leaned against it. "It wasn't Ivy's fault. I was used to getting what I wanted, and like I said, the money was coming easy. I remember feeling unbeatable. One day I just decided that I wanted her, and so I took her."

"And then?"

"And then a month later, all hell broke loose. I didn't know Ichiou Kuran was having me watched. One night I called Ivy to meet me at a hotel, and when I got there, Ichiou and Ottu were waiting for me. Vincent Lang was there, too. When Ivy arrived, we were put in a car and driven north to Vincent's fishing cabin. There wasn't a damn thing I could do. I tried to talk them out of what I was sure they were going to do, but Ichiou only laughed. Ottu...he didn't talk much. He just looked like he got punched hard in that face."

Hiro left the bar and headed for the windows behind Matt's desk. He continued, "Ichiou said Ivy's infidelity was a sign that Ottu was weak. He said if Ottu couldn't control his wife, how could he control his actions on the street? He said Ottu would lose his respect and influence unless he proved to everyone he wasn't afraid to right the wrong. Ichiou, being the boss, said he needed to show the _family_ that he wasn't a coward. And that meant he needed to kill Ivy. I'll never forget the look on Ottu's face."

Matt watched his father lower his head. It was the first time Hiro had ever discussed his secret affair with Ivy. The first time Matt heard that it was Ichiou Kuran who ordered Ottu Shiji to kill his wife. He asked, "So Ottu took out Ivy...and what happened to you? Ichiou didn't want your dead?"

"No, that's not what he wanted for me."

"What not?"

"Because Ichiou knew Ivy was important to me. To go behind Ottu's back, I had to care about her. So instead of killing me, he wanted me alive so that I would suffer every day for the rest of my life. He wanted all of his men to see me stripped and broken. He wanted them to know what it would cost them if they ever tried to cheat him or steal from the _family._"

There was a moment of silence, then Hiro turned to face Matt. Slowly his hand drifted to the patch over his eye. "I became Ichiou's walking billboard that night. Ottu took my eye while Vincent and Ichiou held me down."

Matt stared at his father's patched eye. He had never said a word about what happened. He just took Matt and TK to the Kamiya residence when they were younger. When Matt had the courage to ask, he'd been told it was none of his business and never to mention it again. "Your eye was the price?"

"Yes, for looking at another man's wife. Ichiou said the punishment fit the crime. I also lost my territory and he gave it all to Ottu as a restitution for his loss and humiliation. And since Vincent came to help clean up my mess, he was entitled to something as well. Ichiou asked him what he wanted from me, and he said he wanted my eldest son to marry his daughter when the time came."

_And what about the deal?_ Sophia's words and her smug grin came back to Matt.

Hiro must have seen the disbelief on Matt's face. He said, "I didn't have a choice. And at the time I didn't think it was such a bad deal. You were just a little kid and it would be years before you would be expected to marry her. A lot could happen in that time. I thought there had to be a way out of it, I just hadn't come up with it yet. For the next several years I watched Sophia grow up, determined to get you out of the dedal I made with Vincent. Then, as she got older, I started to convince myself that maybe it wasn't such a bad deal. She was smart and beautiful. That's when I came up with the idea to get you to fall in love with her. I thought if you two were always spending time together, you would eventually fall for her, and then..."

"I wouldn't have to know the truth."

"Ichiou and Vincent never knew I didn't tell you about the deal I made with him. There was no time line, so as long as you looked like you were eventually going to fulfill the deal we made, no one suspected you didn't know what was expected of you. Then the two of you got engaged and I thought everything was going to work out. That is, until you started seeing Mimi secretly and broke off the engagement."

"How did you explain that to Ichiou and Vincent?"

"I told them you were involved in a heavy business deal that was worth millions. That it was going to require you to be single for a while longer. They understood what that meant. In fact, Vincent said he appreciated your consideration for Sophia. I said you were still planning to marry her as soon as things got settled. Vincent's as greedy as Ichiou when it comes to money. I knew if I mentioned millions they would agree that the marriage was secondary. It bought us some time."

"And that's when you decided to send Mimi to America?"

"Once I found out she was pregnant with your child, I couldn't let Ichiou or Vincent know about it. You sleeping with her would have been fine, but the child was a problem. Vincent chose you for his daughter because he wanted the money tie and it would merge our families." Hiro started to pace. "It was just like I stepped back into the same nightmare I created years ago. Back then, Ivy paid for my mistake, and now your son was going to pay for yours even though you had no idea what transpired years earlier." His father stopped and looked at Matt seriously. "That's why we have to get Mimi and Gabby back to New York as soon as possible."

Matt felt like someone ripped his guts out through a pinhole. He turned away and stared out the window.

"I'm not afraid for myself, Matt. Yes, Ichiou will come after me, but Vincent will come after you and Gabby. Mimi, too. They'll cut you where you'll bleed the most, son. And like I said, it's always the innocent who end up getting hurt."

Yesterday he'd been furious with his father; today he realized that even though Hiro was ultimately responsible for everything that happened three years ago, his father had rescued Mimi and Gabby from certain death. Everything was making sense now and the reality of it all was too bizarre not to believe.

"Matt, please send them back. Even though Mimi is not really my daughter, I consider her as part of our family. And I love my grandson. You can't protect them here. Not against Ichiou Kuran."

"It's too late for that, Hiro." He turned from the window. "It's too risky at this time to send them back."

"What do you mean it's too risky? They've only been here for a couple days. I know for a fact that Ichiou's out of town for a few days. If no one knows they're here, we can get them back and keep Gabby a secret."

Matt shook his head. "Last night, at least a hundred people saw Mimi...and my son. Included in that hundred was Sophia Lang. This morning she came to see me. Not knowing anything about your deal with Ichiou and her father, I told her I didn't intend to marry her. She left my office making threats. I figure by now, Vincent has made a call to Ichiou with the news."

Hiro collapsed onto a chair as if he'd been sucker punched. The color drained from his face. "You're right, it would be too risky to move them now. I've been able to keep the estate a secret for many years, and if they discover that I..." Hiro stopped himself from going on. "Ichiou can never know that..."

"That Ivy is alive. Is that what you were going to say?"

When his father simply stared at him, Matt slid open his top drawer. As he hit the switch on the tape recorder, he watched as more color drained from his father's face as the converstaion he had with Mimi an hour earlier began to spill into the room.

"You bugged the penthouse?"

Matt shook his head. "No, I bugged Mimi."

"How?"

"She's wearing a dime-size microphone in the back pocket of her jeans. So let's start over, dad. And this time, why don't you dig a little deeper into the past and tell me everything? Tell me how you managed to keep Ivy alive, and tell me about your daughter and my little sister. Zoe, right?"

Hiro took a deep sigh. "Okay."

* * *

**A/N: Finally, Matt knows the truth about everything. However, his son's life might be in danger, as well as Mimi. I hope you didn't get confused with all the new characters I introduced here. So what do you guys think? Did this chapter answer your questions? If not, please don't hesitate to leave a review/message and let me know. I do reply to my readers :)**

**Ichiou Kuran - **mob boss

**Ottu Shiji - **used to be best friend's with Hiro; Ivy's ex-husband

**Vincent Lang - **Sophia's father

**Michael Gibbs - **Mimi's ex-husband

**I hope I didn't miss anyone. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello! Thank you for the people that read and reviewed the last chapter. It warms my heart to know that you liked it and enjoyed seeing Matt interact with his father. Sorry for the lack of Mimato on that one, but I promise to make it up to you soon. This chapter is shorter than the previews one, but I hope you still like it. This time it is mostly Matt and Takeru talking, but there is a little bit of Mimi towards the end.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Digimon, nor it's characters.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"You're right. The word on the street is that Vincent Lang wants your balls in a jar and Ichiou Kuran wants Hiro's throat slit."

Matt looked up from his desk the next morning as Takeru walked into his office. "What else?"

"How do you know there's something else?"

"There's always something else when it comes to Ichiou Kuran. Let's hear it."

"He flew in late last night from his trip. This morning he put out a contract on Hiro. He's offering money and...Mimi."

Matt felt his world tilt. "Mimi..."

"That's right. He called Joey and Kenji to do it. They don't really like each other but the money offered is pretty big. Ichiou's paying one against the other to get the job done faster. That means we're going to have to come up with something quick."

"Where's Hiro?"

"In his room, pacing and cussing. Did Tai call you?"

"He called. He's doing what he can do on his end. What's the situation on the street?"

"The men are talking. Ichiou's the boss and they know he's got the money and power to back whatever action he takes. I don't think we're going to get much support unless we can shake things up big-time."

Matt studied the way TK was standing. Since yesterday everything had gone to hell, and there was a lot to consider. Where TK was concerned, he worried that Ichiou would see him as in easy target.

"I know what you're thinking, bro. You got plenty to deal with without worrying about me. I can take care of myself."

"Make me feel better and get a couple of men to watch your back. Ichiou will hurt us anywhere he can. If he plans to take over Ishida Towers he'll need to get rid of you, too."

"You know I can take care of myself."

"Mak an exception this time." Matt leaned back in his chair and watched his brother head to the bar. "You got guards on Hiro?"

"Three. I sealed off his floor. He's not happy about it, but that's the way it has to be for now." From behind the bar, TK looked at Matt. "I don't agree with the way Dad handled the situation before. He should have told you what went down. Not right away, of course, but at least when you were older."

"Yes, he should have. And he should have told us about Ivy, too," Matt added.

"Damn right, he should have. Still I'm not going to let Ichiou take him down. Dad screwed up, but we've all done that. He's suffered enough, brother."

Matt's jaw jerked. "I still want to kick his ass for taking Mimi to America without telling me, but I know why he did it. Maybe that's enough for now."

TK uncorked the scotch. "Dad said Ottu refused to kill Ivy."

Matt nodded. "He said he passed out after they took his right eye, and when he woke up, he found Ivy laying beside him; she'd been beaten and her face was cut. Ivy was in the middle of having another stroke the other night when we arrived at Hiro's estate to get Gabby. That's why Mimi wasn't in her room that time. That was the family emergency your men reported."

"Yeah, I figured that out, too. That's why Dad flew to New York so quickly. It was only after he arrived that he learned we've been there and taken Gabby."

"You never saw Ivy, or at least Zoe, the four days you were there taking pictures?"

"No, I never did. Dad said Ivy doesn't leave the house much. Can you believe it, we have a sister."

Matt detected a note of sarcasm in TK's voice. He caught his brother staring and asked, "What are you looking at?"

TK carried the bottle back to Matt's desk. "Dad told me what was on the tape. What Mimi said."

Matt said nothing.

TK raised the bottle to his lips. Two swallows later, he said, "Did you talk to her about it last night? Did you tell her you know everything? Did you tell her you know how she feels about you?"

Matt had been waiting for his brother to hit on that subject. He came to his feet. "No, I haven't had time to..."

"That's bullshit, Matt."

Matt scowled at his brother. "Okay, so how do you suggest I go about bringing it up?"

"You just come out and say it."

" '_I bugged you with a microphone, babe. Yesterday when you confessed that you love me, that you've always loved me, I got it on tape.' _ You think it's easy as that, do you?"

TK scratched his jaw. "Women hate being manipulated. Even if it's for their own good. They got that sensitivity thing going most of the time. Still, you're going to have to talk to her. Maybe if you start telling her she's not alone..."

"Not alone?" Matt's scowl deepened.

"Are you saying you don't love her?"

"I never said that."

"See, I knew you're in love with her. Tai thinks so, too. He says you're acting like a man struggling at both ends." TK pointed a finger to his brother's crotch making his point. "He says it's frustrating as hell, but once a man faces the truth, the perks are hot sex on a daily basis and someone to wash your back in the shower."

Matt jammed his hands into his pockets and stared at his brother from the other side of the desk.

"I told Tai it's been a while since you had some," TK continued.

"Sounds to me like you and Tai need a new hobby besides discussing my personal life," Matt said.

TK slid off the desk and set the scotch bottle in a chair, then eased himself into the one next to it. "Hiro called it meesy...you making a baby with Mimi. He doesn't know you like I do. You've never made a mess in your life. You're Yamato Ishida. Neat as pin. You still fold your socks together before you throw them in the laundry hamper."

"Where's this going, Takeru?"

"We're an unbeatable team, bro. But only if we level with each other. I need to know just what we're fighting for. I need to know what you can't live without and what is expendable before we go any faster with this war against Ichiou Kuran. I need you to be honest with me and Tai. Honest with yourself."

Matt spun away from his desk. When he turned back, he put a hand to his chest. "Okay, she's still in here. Is that what you want to hear, TK? I wish it was different, but it's not. I wanted to hate her for lying to me, but I can't. She's beein in my head and in my..." he fisted his chest "...in here since I saw her that night at the hospital. And I know that she cares about..."

"Loves you," TK helped out. "She used the word love, brother."

"Okay, okay!" Matt started over. "Now that I know she loves me, I'm damn well going to find a way to send Ichiou to hell for the misery he's caused all of us."

TK reached for the bottle of scotch. "See, that didn't hurt too bad, did it?"

Matt nailed his brother with a blank look.

"Let's drink to sending Ichiou to hell."

"I don't think so, bro."

TK's hand stilled. "What now?"

"I agree I want Ichiou on his knees and I agree we're an unbeatable team if we level with each other." Matt pointed to the bottle. "So my question is, how's your back feeling? Ever since you hurt your back couple of months ago, you've been drinking more and more. You look like you're hurting bad. Just how bad, Takeru?"

"I don't need the booze to do my job, Matt, if that's the question behind the question. It makes it easier, but I don't need it. Not to shoot straight or to rip a man apart."

"Are you sure?"

TK slowly got to his feet. "I spoke with the doctor a week ago."

Matt was surprised to hear it. Takeru hated doctors as much as he did. Surprised, but encouraged, he said, "What did he say?"

"He told me that my scar is crowding the blood vessels along my spine."

"Is there something that can be done?"

"Surgery."

"So have it."

"I'm considering it. But right now, taking Ichiou Kuran out is more important. So what's this plan you mentioned on the phone? The one you said I wasn't going to like? Why the hell not?"

* * *

Mimi found the electronic bug in the back pocket of her jeans just before lunch. At first she had no idea what it was. Then she remembered the gold disk pinned on all of Matt's bodyguards and suddenly realized she'd been played for a fool. Faced with the truth, she now know that yesterday's kiss, the one she thought was so open and honest, had been nothing more than a calculated scheme to plant the tiny microphone.

The truth stung her pride, but she had no one to blame but herself. She made it easy for him. Her confession that she hasn't been with a man for three years must have been hard for him to keep from laughing while he gathered her into his arms to rescue her from her pathetic plight.

Yes, easy is what she'd been. She melted against him and in his arms she remembered everything. But more important, he remembered, too, and that knowledge made it all so simple for him. Now that he not only knew how vulnerable she was with him, but he knew why...he knew she was in love with him, he knew about Ivy and he knew about Zoe.

She needed to call Hiro, but on the heels of that decision came the overwhelming urge to face Matt first and that's when she called the nanny.

In spite of her plan not to like the old lady, Mimi was more than a little impressed when the nanny came through the door an hour later. She was sixty-two years old, wore her hair on a tight bun, and her glasses a bit low on her nose. But she came ready to work, her handbag full of books to read to Gabby and some sugarless treats.

Mimi learned that she was a retired nurse with credentials that made her better suited to run a children's hospital than to take care of one little boy. But the best part of all was that Gabby liked her. He laughed at the older woman's enthusiasm, smiled at her praise when he had the courage to try a new vegetable for lunch, and had fallen asleep in her arms while she read him a story.

If Mimi wasn't so angry with Matt, she would have been able to appreciate the effort it took to find such a kind and caring woman in such a short time. In fact, she admitted that Mr. Ishida promised her a bonus if she would move out of her apartment and move into a suite at Ishida Towers within twenty-four hours. She gladly accepted the offer and now resided five floors below them.

"I hope to be back by dinnertime," Mimi told her. "But if I'm not, go ahead and feed Gabby. I left a menu in the kitchen."

"You shouldn't have bothered, Ms. Tachikawa, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, I'll follow it to the letter."

"Thank you, it does," Mimi said, then went to Gabby's room and checked on him. He usually napped for three hours every afternoon, and counting on that, Mimi left the penthouse focused on her mission.

Outside the hall, she faced Matt's personal bodyguard and with a sweet smile on her face, she told him she needed a few things from the grocery store. Some personal items she would prefer to attend to herself. Shibayama hesitated, then said, "I can't let you go unless you agree to have a couple of guards assist you, Ms. Tachikawa."

"Oh, that's no problem." Mimi smiled at the two men who resembled pro-wrestlers, then stepped into the elevator, standing between the two guards.

**A/N: What is Mimi up to? Any ideas of what she's planning to do? Let me know in your reviews! :)**

**-xoxo**


	11. Chapter 11

Hello everyone! I am so very sorry for not keeping to my usual weekend update. As you may know I was supposed to upload this chapter last Saturday (or Sunday), but I went away for a weekend trip and spent some quality time with the family. Then things got pretty hectic with work come Monday and the days after that. I hope this chapter makes up for the lost time...I know most of you have been waiting for this! And if you have this story on ALERT, you probably know I uploaded another chapter!

Now before ya'll get excited, read this first and enjoy a little something called Mimato smut!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Digimon.

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**Chapter ELEVEN**

Matt was in his office with Tk and Tai when he got the call from Shibayama that Mimi was missing and that her bodyguards had been scrambling to locate her for twenty minutes with no luck.

Afraid that Ichiou had struck hard and fast before they had gotten a chance to take action against him first, Matt sent Tk in one direction to aid in the search and Tai in another. Then he went to grill Shibayama on the chain of events that led to Mimi's disappearance.

There had been no mention of Gabby, and knowing how protective Mimi was of their son, he was surprised to find the nanny in his home, knitting beside the bed while his son took his afternoon nap.

Knowing the nanny was there explained why Mimi felt comfortable leaving the penthouse, but not what motivated her to do so. That is until Matt saw the champagne glass on the bar with the miniature microphone settled on the bottom.

It took him another hour and a half, and fifty men searching Ishida Towers, before Tk called and told him to meet up. When Matt stepped off the elevator he was expecting to see Mimi with his brother, but the only one waiting for him was Tk, wearing a heavy scowl.

"Where is she?" Matt demanded. "I thought you said two of the guards found her."

"They thought they had her, but it's not her."

"What do you mean it's not her?"

Tk pointed at the woman who had been detained by his two men in the corridor. "Brown hair, beautiful, wearing jeans and a black sweater. That's the description Shibayama gave us. I don't have to say more, do I?"

Matt looked at the pretty woman wearing jeans and a black sweater. "Shit! Apologize to her and pay her off if she wants. Get that picture you took of Mimi in New York, make multiple copies, and distribute it to the men so they know who the hell they're looking for."

"I'll get right on it."

Matt rode the elevator down to the lobby with Tk. He wanted to believe that Mimi wouldn't do something stupid, but he couldn't be sure, and that's what was bothering him the most. His father told him that she was well aware of the danger she and Gabby were in, and yet she left the protection of the penthouse and his men. Why? What was she up to?

It was after Tk left to retrieve Mimi's photo, and Matt was contemplating his next move, when he noticed a woman wearing a black sweater leave the front doors of a hat store and head for the elevator corridor.

He turned to study the woman, whose black hat hid her eyes as well as her hair. He was sure that he had lost his mind thinking it might be Mimi, until he began to study the woman's walk. And that wasn't hard to do, the way the short black skirt showed off a beautiful pair of long legs and a magnificent behind.

After a few seconds of watching, Matt swore, then punched in a number on his cellphone as he slipped into the crowd to follow the woman with a lovely ass. "Tk, call the men. I've got her."

Returning his cellphone back in his pocket, Matt picked up the pace, as Mimi headed for an elevator, she looked like one of the hundreds of women who shopped daily at the boutiques and stores inside Ishida Towers. He stepped into the elevator along with a half dozen women loaded down with colorful shopping bags, aware that Mimi was trying hard to keep herself hidden behind a large woman.

One by one, the women exited the elevator over the next four stops, the last climbing off at the fourteenth floor, and leaving Mimi in the corner with her head down. He noticed that the next stop was the twenty-second floor. He had no idea why Mimi chose that floor, but it really didn't matter. As soon as the elevator took off, he reached out and hit the 'stop' button on the panel.

Arms crossed over his chest, he leaned against the wall and waited. Waited until she lifted her head before he said, "Nice outfit."

She pulled off her brimmed hat, letting her long brown hair fall forward into her caramel eyes. She shook her head, shoved her hair away from her face, then looked at him, her expressive eyes telling him she definitely had something on her mind, as well as a reason behind her little afternoon escapade.

"What gave me away?" she asked.

"The black sweater." Matt wasn't about to mention the rest. It was the way she walked that convinced him it was her. That, and the fact that he memorized her legs three years ago.

"Two hours and..." she glanced at her watch "...eighteen minutes. I guess your security system and your men aren't that good."

"That's what this is all about? Testing my security?"

She flashed him a look, part hurt, part anger. "You have to admit their performance today brings up a number of questions. Do they have what it takes? Can you really protect our son as well as you think you can?" She shrugged. "Should I go on?"

Matt's jaw jerked.

"I guess more doesn't always mean better. How many men are out there searching for me, Matt?"

"That was your objective? To bring my attention to the weak links in my organization?"

She didn't answer.

Matt shook his head. "It's an interesting theory, but I don't think that's the reason why you're out to jerk my chain today. No, I think it has more to do with that little gold microphone floating in a champagne glass upstairs." He saw her stiffen, and he knew he was right.

"If you wanted information, you should have come right out and asked, Yamato."

"And you would have told me...everything? All I had to do was ask?"

Silence.

"I won't tolerate secrets, Mimi. My house, my rules remember? I planted that bug yesterday morning for a reason. I can't protect what's mine if I don't know who my enemies are. If you continue to keep secrets from me, you're going to have to get used to finding bugs in your pockets, baby. I do what I have to do. I won't apologize for how I live or what I have to do to stay alive. The bottom line is to keep breathing, remember?"

She hiked her chin. "We were _breathing_ fine in New York. Why not send us back?"

"It's not that simple, Meems. Maybe if I had known the reason why you were there in the first place, I would have done things differently. Fact is, you're here now, and the wrong people know it. It's too dangerous to send you back."

"It's just as dangerous for us here, Matt."

"I'm glad you realize that. So no more stunts like this one you pulled today. Okay, babe?" Matt moved away from the wall and reached for the bag she held. She gave it up without a fight, and he opened it to find a pair of jeans inside, flat shoes, and a small red bag from one of the shops downstairs. So she left the penthouse in jeans, with the idea of altering her appearance once she ditched his guards. He looked up.

"Say it, Mimi. Say you agree there will be no more stunts. No more running off and scaring the hell out of me."

"Yamato Ishida scared? I don't think so."

He set the bag down and reached inside for the small red bag. "What's in here?"

"It's personal. Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

When he attempted to open the bag, she dropped her hat and tried to grab for it. The bag ripped and the contents spilled onto the floor...a half dozen pair of sexy underwear and a couple of lacy lingerie.

She swore at him then moved away from the wall to rescue her things. He'd been itching to get his hands on her all day, ever since he admitted to himself and Tk that Mimi's confession wasn't one sided. That he feels the same way about her. That he loves her.

As she bent down, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up against him. As he backed her into the corner, he said, "Did you mean it?"

"Let go, Matt."

"Did you mean it?"

She avoided his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do, otherwise you wouldn't be trying so damn hard to avoid looking at me." He gripped her chin and forced her head back so she would have to look at him. Still not willing to make eye contact with him, she closed her eyes. "Maybe you can't look at me because it makes you remember too damn much. Is that it, Mimi? Are you remembering what it felt like when I came inside you three years ago? Do you remember how you begged for it? Begged for my mouth and my tongue. Yesterday you remembered, didn't you, baby?"

"Let me go, Matt."

He settled his weight around her with no intention of letting her go anywhere. He would have chosen somewhere else to talk about his, but she picked the place, not him. She squirmed against him, sending enough heat-filled friction over his crotch and down the front of his legs to make him swear and groan at the same time. "I want to hear you say it. Tell me what you told my father yesterday."

"You already know what I told Hiro. Why say it again? So you can have an excuse to take more from me?"

"I don't need an excuse to take what's already mine."

She swore at him, then tried to get her knee up.

This time Matt was ready for that and he slid his hand down her thigh and gripped her leg just above the knee. Jerking her knee to the side, he slid his leg between her thighs, then curled his fingers along the seams of the tight black skirt and yanked it up.

"Matt, no! Not here!" She renewed her fight.

"Yes, right here. Right now." He lowered his head and kissed her hard, driving his tongue between her teeth and into the heat of her mouth. And in that instant, she stopped struggling. Seconds later he heard her moan, the one that told him she was his.

Quickly, he slid his hands up her body to cradle her head and soften his kiss. She responded by whimpering and arching against him. Then she moved her hands inside his suit jacket to slide her arms around his waist.

The knowledge that she wanted him...loves him...had Matt on a mission. Groaning, he settled his hands back on her thighs. Slower this time, he hiked up her skirt, then lifted his knee until it made contact with her wet center. The action spread her legs wider and forced her skirt to go higher. A few more tugs and the skirt was bunched around her waist. Matt's hands slid over her backside to bring her more fully against his knee. The act teased another moan from her, and she clung to him until they were both breathing heavily.

He stepped back and looked into her caramel eyes. "You know what's going to happen, don't you? What has to happen."

"Yes."

He kissed her again, then his gaze drifted down her body to her panties. Cut high on her hips, they made her legs look like they went on forever, and he ached to feel those shapely legs wrapped around him.

Their destination set, he leaned in and took her lips once more. He wanted to linger, to feast on her delicious mouth for hours, to take his time...but there was no time. They had already been in the elevator too long, and his men would be scramblng to find out why it stalled between the seventeenth and nineteenth floor.

He thought about calling Shibayama, but there was no time for that either. Mimi was ready for him and he was past ready. He bent his knees and kissed her belly. His fingers slid around her hips and he hooked his thumbs into the elastic of her panties and pulled them down past her sexy knees. Hungry for her, he brushed his lips over her, then dipped into her already wet center, stroking his tongue against her until she was writhing on the wall and arching for him.

The scent of her desire drove him wild, and he moved on her again and again, his mouth sucking and his tongue stroking until he felt her fingers in his hair and heard her little cries of ecstasy.

He backed off to touch her with his hands, to thread his fingers through her brown traingle of curls, then dipped inside. She gasped. Arched. Clung to him.

Sensing how ready she was for him, Matt quickly came to his feet. He felt her hand brush over the front of his pants, and her desire to touch him nearly undid him. He loosened his belt, then unzipped his pants, while she bent down, shoved her panties past her ankles and stepped out of them. On the way back up, her hand slid into his pants and she cupped his sac through his underwear and squeezed.

Matt heard himself groan when she slid her fingers upward, running the heel of her hand over his thick shaft. "Yes, that's good. So damn good," he muttered, then reached for her. No longer able to wait, he clasped her around the waist, grabbed her lovely ass and stepped closer into the corner to rest her shoulders against the wall. "Bend your knees, baby, and wrap yourself around me," he whispered.

The moment she did as he asked, he sent his pulsing length inside her, pushing into her harder than he intended. She cried out, then buried her face against his neck to muffle her cries of rising passion.

When her body began to convulse and stretch, she moaned and settled around him. The pleasure of it all tugged him deeper, and as a delicious heat exploded around him, Matt bucked his hips and began thrusting in rhythm...hard.

The scent of her filled his nostrils and he closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the craving he had for her ever since he'd first seen her at the hospital.

He gripped her ass and pumped faster. Deeper. Harder. She panted and strained and clung to him as she took his hard thrusts. Seconds later, she came over him in a series of wet spasms, her ragged cry sending him on a rush to meet her in a savage climax that nearly took him to his knees.

At first Mimi thought the ringing was just in her ears, but as soon as Matt swore, she came out of her euphoric fog and realized it was some kind of alarm. She lifted her head and saw a light flashing on the elevator panel. "Matt..."

"That's us. Come on. We've got to get you put back together before we get company."

Mimi unwrapped her legs from around him as he eased out of her. She was glad for the wall at her back when her feet touched the floor. Leaning against it, she felt shaky and tired, but there was no time to bask in the moment. Focused on what she needed to do before the elevator doors opened, she accepted the handkerchief Matt put into her hand. Her cheeks would have shown her embarrassment if they weren't already full of color.

She turned away to use the handkerchief, then pulled the tight black skirt over her hips, then wrapped the evidence of her wild behavior into a ball and buried it in her fist. When she turned back, she found Matt leaning against the opposite wall, holding her hat and watching her. To her annoyance, she realized that no one ever would have guessed by looking at him that he just participated in a quickie elevator sex. His clothes had been restored to perfection and his expression was as cool as his blue eyes.

The bell was still ringing and the light on the panel was still flashing.

"Ready?"

No, she wasn't ready. How could he think she was ready?

"Mimi..."

She lifted her chin, then held out her hand for her hat.

He handed her the wide-brimmed hat and she took it, but she didn't put it on...she would regret that later.

He reached for the panel and pushed a button. The bell stopped ringing immediately, and after the flashing light blinked twice, the elevator took off.

Mimi suddenly remembered she wasn't wearing her underwear. She began to scan the floor, frantic to find her panties. She would die if she left them behind. Besides, she was naked beneath her skirt. She couldn't very well leave the elevator wearing no underwear!

The elevator stopped.

Matt took hold of her arm and pulled her toward him just as the doors began to open. His hot mouth grazing her ear and whispered, "They're in the bag." Then the doors opened and Mimi found herself staring into the scowling faces of over a dozen bodyguards disguised as businessmen, each with one hand inside his suit jacket.

Mimi didn't think she would be able to move without falling on her face. Her knees felt weak and she wasn't used to high heels. But she knew she couldn't just stand there looking like a damn fool, giving Matt's men time to consider what had been keeping them between floors for ten minutes.

Hoping her legs held her up, she took a step, then another, until she was past the collected men and their questioning eyes. She saw Tk, saw him motion for her to come to him where he stood beside the glass elevator. The elevator that would take her to the penthouse. She never imagined that she would be relieved to see Matt's brother, but just now she was, and she headed for him as quickly as her shaky legs would go.

She felt Matt's hand reaching for hers a second later, and in an instant he took the white rumpled handkerchief from her fingers and buried the evidence of their quickie deep in his pocket.

Mimi studied the elevator, wishing it were made of steel instead of glass. She wanted to disappear from sight, the sooner the better. She heard Tk whisper something to Matt. His reaction to what his brother said was to swear crudely. She entered the elevator, and as she turned she found Shibayama stepping in behind her. His usual smile was gone and he was carrying her shopping bag.

Matt glanced at her briefly and she managed to keep her breathing steady. Then he turned, nailing the guards still standing in the hall with a kick-ass glare. It was followed by, "All of you, come with me. The security around here in unacceptable. We're going to fix it even if it takes all day and all night. Is that understood?"

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**Ha! After eleven chapters, they finally did it! ****I hope you liked it :)**

**xoxo**


	12. Chapter 12

This is a short chapter...a very short chapter...about Ottu Shiji. For those of you who don't know him or forgot about him, he used to be Hiro's best friend and Ivy's former husband. Anyways, feel free to skip this chapter if you want. Nothing too important really. Just another character introduction.

I think this is the shortest chapter so far, but do not worry because the next one will be longer.

**It came to my attention that some of you might have missed CHAPTER 11 since I uploaded it at the same time as Chapter 12. So be sure to read that (if you haven't read it yet) since it's full of Mimato!**

* * *

**Chapter TWELVE**

When Ottu Shiji saw Tomoe come through his bedroom door carrying her teapot on a tray, along with the familiar brown cup he'd grown to hate, he said, "Not tonight, my pet. I'm not drinking that bitter tea tonight."

Undaunted by his gruff voice, she tossed her head and kept coming. Her hair was down and the scent of jasmine drifted to him where he lay on the bed. As sick as he was, hid body reacted to the sight of her, the sway of her hips and the way her small breasts swelled the front of her silk robe.

He knew she was good at reading his thoughts. She set the tray down on the table next to his bed, her robe parting to allow him a glimpse of her slender legs. "I have a letter for you," she said. "Drink some tea, master, while you read then I will rub your feet and take you away from your pain. Then you will rest comfortably for the night."

He shoved his rotund body upward, resting his back against the massive carved headboard depicting a scene of fighting tigers. Tomoe handed him the letter, then poured the tea. The letter was already open, but not read. Tomoe never overstepped her position when it came to his privacy. As he glanced at the familiar handwriting, his already ill mood took a nosedive. Not in any hurry to read what Ichiou Kuran had to say, he stalled, content to watch Tomoe as she lit the candles that circled the room.

She told him once that the candles would light the way on his journey. That whenever the time came, day or night, they would guide him down his chosen path. He wasn't sure if Tomoe was worried that the stairway to hell would be too dark for him to find his way, or if she was afraid cloud cover would darken the pearly gates. He believed the former, though they had never discussed his fate except to acknowledge that he would be taking a journey.

"Drink your tea, my love, it will give you strength."

Keep him hard for longer than five minutes is what she meant. Ottu wet his lips, anticipating the bitter taste, anticipating what would follow if he could manage to drink more than one cup of the bitter crap. There are rewards in suffering the taste, she once teased, and she had been right the one night he managed to finish the entire pot.

He glanced at her and the smile appearing on her small wise face. Then she dropped her silk robe and walked naked to the stone steps that led to his indoor pool, where warm fragrant water awaited her surrounded by a zen garden.

His parrot made a chirping noise and Tomoe stopped to speak to him and stroke the bird's blue head, before she entered the water with the grace of a woodland fairy.

Ottu finally unfolded the letter and began to drink his tea. From time to time he would look up to watch Tomoe swim. By the time he came to read the bottom of the letter, he was swearing. "The bastard is threatening me," he roared. "If I don't die soon, he says he's going to remove me from my house." Ottu tossed the letter into the air. "Ichiou Kuran has gone too far. He needs a taste of his own medicine."

He wasn't sure when Tomoe left the water, but suddenly she was beside him, again wrapped in her silk robe, handing him the brown cup. "Drink tea."

He accepted the cup. "I'm not dead yet," he growled.

"No, my love, not yet. Drink tea."

He took a sip. "I still have my brain."

"More than a brain to nourish. Drink tea."

Ottu drained the cup and when she poured more, he finished that too, then pointed to the teapot for her to refill the cup again. "You could have waited until tomorrow to show me that damn letter, Tomoe. I would have slept better."

"You will sleep," she assured, emptying the last of the tea from the pot into his cup. "It isn't my place to keep such things from you," she said softly. She handed him the cup. "I promise you will sleep well, my love."

Ottu looked deeper into Tomoe's eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for being with me and taking care of me for all these years. Thank for making this old man happy."

A slight smile curved the woman's lovely pink lips. "As you say, you are not dead yet. I live to please you. Our time is short together and we must make the most of it."

She stood then slipped out of her robe. "Mister Kuran's been bossing you around even though he knows you're ill."

Ottu reached out to touch her. "See, the tea is already working."

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**If you are wondering who Tomoe is, she is Ottu's servant/companion/lover. She takes care of him and gives him a little pleasure on the side (if ya know what I mean...haha). **

**Since I totally messed up my usual updating schedule, I am not sure when the next chapter will be. But I will try and upload it as soon as possible, okay.**

**Ciao! :)**


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